Research Project
In this project on the Distributional Implications of Climate-related Disasters (DIoD) we study the feedback effects on macroeconomic aggregates due to changes in income distributions once a disaster has hit. We do so by introducing agent heterogeneity into two state-of-the-art disaster models already used by many researchers as well as policymakers.
Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA)
Exploratory Modeling of Human-natural Systems (EM)
Biodiversity and Natural Resources (BNR)
Water Security (WAT)
Population and Just Societies (POPJUS)
Equity and Justice (EQU)
Dynamic Model of Multi-Hazard Mitigation Co-Benefits (DYNAMMICs)
The Binary constrained Disaster model (BinD)
Social and Policy Simulations
Research Project
RESIST will apply a multidisciplinary systems-thinking framework that aims to integrate (i) scientific evidence on key ecosystem processes driving climate change and (ii) socio-economic aspects driving stakeholder decision-making, both of which ultimately affect the Resilience of Ecosystem Services provided by Intact and Sustainably managed Terrestrial ecosystems under future scenarios.
Research Project
LAMASUS builds on i) decades of experience in direct policy support, ii) unique modeling tools, such as GLOBIOM, the only model that integrates agricultural and land use sectors, and CAPRI, MAGNET and CLUE, which underlie JRC’s land use policy assessments, and iii) novel approaches mobilizing machine learning and citizen science.
Research Project
A consortium consisting of the SYRR group of IIASA, ETH Zurich, and the InsuResilience Solutions Fund (ISF) will undertake macro-level socio-economic risk modelling, scenario assessment and policy analysis to understand how public sector climate and disaster risk financing strategies interact and complement risk reduction interventions in order to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable countries. IIASA will build on its CatSim Model to not only assess fiscal implications but also study broader resilience impact on relevant case study countries studied. The project will finally seek to develop recommendations on the design of smart support regarding comprehensive risk management for the case study countries.
Research Project
While Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been introduced by The UN 2030 Agenda, unfortunately we as a planet are not currently on course. In addition, protection of the Earth's climate promoted by the Paris Agreement is also not on track. IIASA plans to join Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and several other partners to contribute to SHAPE, which will aim to study Sustainable Development Pathways (SDPs) that will achieve the SDGS in 2030 and also support sustainable development reach the goals of the Paris Agreement in 2100.
Research Project
The H2020 project ALTERNATE (Assessment of alternative aviation fuels development) brings together an interdisciplinary consortium of world leading experts in the field of air transport, engine certification and alternative fuels both from Europe and China, to provide synergy of the potential climate change mitigation strategies based on the use of alternative jet fuel pathways.
Research Project
The IIASA Just transitions to net-zero carbon emissions for all (JustTrans4All) project, which forms part of a suite of projects under the IIASA Strategic Initiatives Program, will contribute to novel analyses of transition pathways that are socially and environmentally just. The project will inform policy design, aiming to achieve high levels of human wellbeing within planetary boundaries in line with the UN 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
Economic Frontiers (EF)
Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE)
Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions (TISS)
Population and Just Societies (POPJUS)
Migration and Sustainable Development (MIG)
Equity and Justice (EQU)
Social Cohesion, Health, and Wellbeing (SHAW)
Strategic Initiatives (SI)
Research Project
In the A-LEVERS project funded by the Austrian Climate Research Programme (ACRP), IIASA researchers contribute to the development of a methodological framework for prioritizing adaptation options. Collaborating with the University Graz, GeoSphereAustria, and experts, they derive adaption pathways for key climate-related risks for Austria.
Research Project
SEED MICAT - Support Energy Efficiency Deployment with the Multiple Impacts CAlculation Tool, aims to help EU and member states at national, regional and local governance levels in including Multiple Impacts (MI) in their implementation of the Energy Efficiency First (EE1) principle. Basing this on strong and reliable analytical tools, "sowing thus the seeds" for a broad application of the principle.
Considering MI in target setting argues for a fast phase-out of fossil fuels but also for a careful analysis of MI related to different pathways to climate neutrality, with varying contributions from energy demand and energy supply options.
Therefore, the project extends its MI framework to include renewable energy sources, advocates integrating policy modules, and showcases how it applies at different levels. SEED MICAT also includes replication analysis, capacity building, and a strong dissemination approach to promote knowledge on implementing the EE1 principle.
Research Project
Horizon Europe: Link4Skills is a global project addressing skill shortages through four processes: upskilling established populations, raising wages, automation, and migration. It spans Europe, Africa, Asia, and America, analyzing skill shortages and flows. The project includes the development of an AI-Assisted Skill Navigator for stakeholders in employment and vocational training organizations across origins and destinations
Research Project
While the buildings sector is directly responsible for about 10% of Austria’s anthropogenic CO2 emissions, its carbon footprint is 3 to 4 times larger than that if indirect and life-cycle emissions are considered (dependent on the accounting method). In that regard, Austria’s building sector is representative of building sectors of other countries in the European Union. Moreover, the CO2 emissions attributed to the global building stock are structured in a similar way. Thus, due to its interlinkages with other sectors (notably energy generation and industry), building stock provides effective leverage points that are of critical importance for global and national mitigation efforts, and for a successful transition to carbon-neutral economy.
Research Project
CORE addresses SU-DRS01-2018-2019-2020 call for disaster-resilient societies. It analyzes natural & anthropogenic risks (earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, floods, terrorist attacks, industrial accidents, Covid-19). It focuses on vulnerable populations, preserving dignity & autonomy during emergencies. It investigates social media's ethical impact on autonomy, dignity, equity, & well-being as well as aims to provide recommendations for improved preparedness & resilience, considering human and social characteristics.
Research Project
AGORA project fosters European climate resilience through collaboration and community-based adaptation. It co-designs and implements tailored solutions, engages stakeholders, and promotes climate justice, empowerment, and societal transformation aiming for a climate resilient Europe with innovative approaches and effective policies.
Research Project
Recent technological and scientific advancements have improved our understanding of natural hazards. However, despite efforts, natural disasters continue to take a heavy toll on communities, resulting in loss of life, environmental impact, and economic damage. The MEDiate project aims to use a resilient-informed, service-oriented, and people-centered approach for developing a disaster risk management decision-support system by considering multiple interacting natural hazards and their cascading effects, changes in hazards, vulnerability, and exposure.
Research Project
Natural and man-made disasters are causing huge losses, which are likely to rise due to the risk ignorance, population and development growth in disaster-prone areas, as well as interdependencies among sectors, regions, locations, increasing current and future exposure and vulnerability. The interdependencies among systems and regions involve interactions between socio-economic, natural, technological systems. They resemble complex networks connected through various “balance” relations (supply-demand, input-output, inflow-outflow) at different levels. Disruption of such networks can trigger systemic risks associated with critical imbalances, exceedances of vital thresholds, which affect provision of goods (food, energy, water), environmental norms, endanger population and developments, thus undermining socio-economic-food-energy-water NEXUS security (SEFEW NEXUS security) at local, regional, national levels with possible global spillovers.
Co-development of integrated and multi-disciplinary advanced system analyses and decision support methods and tools is essential for stakeholders and experts to build up regional resilience through timely investments into disaster preparedness and response measures enabling to properly mitigate and adapt to systemic risks of all kinds.
Research Project
Decades of insufficient action (despite multiple scientific warnings) have heightened risks of irreversible tipping points in the Earth systems. Urgent and critical actions are needed to avert societal collapse. Phase-2 of the Transformations within Reach (TwR) is intended to provide an action-oriented synthesis for catalyzing societal transformations toward sustainability.
Research Project
The joint project “Integrated modeling for robust management of food-energy-water-land use nexus security and sustainable development” between National Academy of Sciences, Ukraine (NASU), and IIASA for the period from 2022 to 2026 is the continuation and the new stage of the joint NASU-IIASA project “Integrated robust management of food-energy-water-land-social nexus for sustainable development” completed in the period from 2017 to 2021 (IIASA Policy brief, 2017; Zagorodny et al., 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020). In the new research period, we address urgent problems of integrated modeling and policy analysis through models’ linkage and distributed optimization of disintegrated distributed food-water-energy-environmental models, precautionary and adaptive dealing with systemic risks and their implications for Food-Energy-Water-Environmental-Social (FEWES) systems security NEXUS management in Ukraine and globally.
Research Project
The project "Systems analysis of Patterns of COVID-19 spread in Europe and Russia" aims at developing an improved understanding of effectiveness of government policies in limiting the transmission of the COVID-19 virus in the population, and at assessing impacts of relevant socio-economic events on the dynamics of COVID-19 infections.