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Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder and one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases worldwide. On average, one in ten adults is affected. The number of people living with diabetes continues to rise, posing an increasing challenge for healthcare systems and entire economies. A new study reveals the global and national economic costs of diabetes and offers strategies to reduce them.

A commentary coauthored by IIASA experts and senior representatives from the UN and the international statistics community discusses the implications of recent changes to the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program and highlights the importance of integrating citizen science more fully into official data systems

An IIASA delegation visited Egypt from 11–12 December 2025 including Deputy Director General Karen Lips and IIASA Water Security Research Group Leader, Taher Kahil, who participated in the Innovation Research Commercialization Expo (IRC 2025) and met with representatives of Egypt’s Institute of National Planning.

A new study reviews how ageing is measured in consumer behaviour research, highlighting the continued dominance of chronological age and calling for stronger interdisciplinary approaches drawing on gerontology and demography.

A delegation from CzechGlobe – the Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences – visited IIASA on 10 December 2025 to explore opportunities for deepening scientific cooperation. 

New research shows rising hydrogen emissions since 1990 have indirectly intensified climate change and amplified the impact of methane.

As populations age worldwide, understanding health inequalities in later life becomes increasingly important. A new international study examines disparities in physical and cognitive functioning among older adults across 41 countries, revealing substantial differences by country, gender, and age, offering valuable insights for targeted policy action.

In an interview published by Der Tagesspiegel (The Berlin Daily), IIASA Director-General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber discusses the climate potential of wood construction at a conference on bio-based building in Potsdam.

European governments worried about population decline often focus on policies to encourage people to have more children. However, a new study reveals that this popular strategy is often less effective and more ethically problematic than a simpler, immediate alternative: large-scale investment in public health to reduce preventable deaths.

A new study visualizes three decades of income inequality data, the most comprehensive worldwide mapping to be done at a subnational level. The results confirm worsening income inequality for areas with over 3.6 billion inhabitants but also reveals hidden ‘bright spots’ where policy may be closing the gap.

The International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum (IVECF 2026), to be convened on 9-10 April 2026 at Vienna’s Hofburg Palace, comes at a pivotal moment. As the world races to deliver on sustainable development, energy, and climate goals, growing concerns over international security and stability emphasize the urgent need for inclusive and integrated solutions as well as the need to provide climate justice.

A productive meeting between H.E. Ambassador Haytham Shoja’aadin of Yemen and IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber set the stage for deeper collaboration on water security and regional cooperation. The exchange offered new momentum for science-based dialogue between IIASA and Yemen at a pivotal time for the MENA region.

On 3 December 2025, H.E. Ambassador Giovanni Pugliese and Scientific Counselor Amedeo Staiano of the Italian Embassy in Austria visited IIASA for discussions on strengthening scientific engagement between Italy and the Institute.

On 1 December 2025, IIASA welcomed H.E. Ian Biggs, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia, to the Institute for discussions on strengthening scientific cooperation between Australia and IIASA.

IIASA Energy, Climate, and Environment Program Director, Keywan Riahi, has been reappointed to the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change for a second term from 2026 to 2030.

Two recent visits by senior representatives of Peking University (PKU) to IIASA have reaffirmed and expanded the long-standing partnership between the institutions, highlighting new opportunities for joint research, academic training, and policy-relevant collaboration in environment, population, and systems sciences.

In late November, IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber visited Argentina to take part in a high-level event on urban sustainability. The visit included participation in a two-day event on climate, cities, and sustainable construction, held at the German Embassy in Buenos Aires and the University of Buenos Aires, bringing together scientific, political, and municipal actors to discuss the transformation of the construction sector and its role in climate action.

In its post-COP30 analysis, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung features insights from IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber and other experts, arguing that the conference outcome shows how the world may now need to look beyond the 1.5°C limit.

More than you might think. A badly chosen holiday destination can leave everyone frustrated, just as poorly designed disaster plans can leave communities devastated; although the consequences are not comparable, the decision-making processes have similar characteristics. The MEDiate project is building a novel Decision Support System (DSS) – a digital toolbox which helps policy-makers test strategies before disaster strikes. IIASA is not only helping to design models and frameworks behind this system, but also ensuring that every stakeholder participates in the discussion. Even the best technical solution won’t work if there is nobody supports it.

Researchers from IIASA and partner institutions in the EU funded PARATUS project introduce a new generation of modeling tools that help not only better understand but also reduce systemic risk and vulnerability to multiple, possibly cascading, natural and man-made hazards. Instead of relying on traditional independent hazards’ analysis and static risk mapping, the IIASA PARATUS team from CAT-ASA group develops novel dynamic modeling approaches enabling to analyze and project how hazards’ patterns and vulnerability dimensions can evolve over time as functions of vulnerability drivers—and how risk-informed policy choices regarding the drivers can reduce risks and vulnerability of all kinds.