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Earth’s carbon-climate system may be more fragile than widely thought, according to a new IIASA-led study that looks at the planet’s response to human pressures from a planetary perspective.

IIASA is pleased to announce that 36 of its researchers and alumni have been featured in the 2025 edition of the Research.com Top Scientists ranking, highlighting the Institute’s continued excellence across a range of disciplines.

In 2023, India surpassed China as the most populous country in the world, and is likely to retain this status for the remainder of this century. In a recent study, IIASA researchers explored whether India could also surpass China in terms of broader socio-economic potential, given the country’s rapid economic growth in recent decades.

IIASA CAT-ASA scientists Nadejda Komendantova, Tatiana Ermolieva, and Taher Zobeidi jointly with PARATUS case study teams from Istanbul (Turkey), Bucharest (Romania), Barcelona (Spain), are excited to share a short summary of their joint work on "Systemic risks, vulnerability analysis and integrated disaster risk management for disaster resilient societies" in the frames of the WP2, Task 2.2. of the PARATUS project.

Roman Hoffmann joined the webinar "Droughts and Water (In)Security in a Changing Climate" as a panelist, hosted by Cell Press.

On 23 June 2025, IIASA will launch the global citizen science “Tree-Quest” campaign at the Living Planet Symposium in Vienna, inviting people from all over the world to take part using the free Geo-Quest app. As part of the Citizens for Copernicus project, IIASA researchers will also lead hands-on workshops with schoolchildren at the symposium, teaching them how to use the app and collect ground data that will help scientists map the carbon stored in trees with satellite data more accurately.

The Second Austrian Assessment Report on Climate Change (AAR2) provides a comprehensive scientific analysis of climate change spanning approximately 800 pages, showing ways to a sustainable transformation towards climate neutrality and a sustainable, just society.

Dmitry Erokhin, Research Scholar at the IIASA Cooperation and Transformative Governance (CAT) Research Group, presented a study titled “Analysis of Online Public Discourse and Sentiment during Nuclear Emergencies: A Case Study of YouTube Comments” conducted in collaboration with Nadejda Komendantova, Leader of the IIASA CAT Research Group, at the International Conference on Stakeholder Engagement for Nuclear Power Programs 2025, organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

In a new viewpoint article, IIASA researchers and their colleagues from the WHO call for a reimagining of universal health coverage (UHC)  for migrants and refugees — grounded in global solidarity and collective responsibility for health financing beyond national borders.

What happens when members of the public are asked to rate the quality of healthcare, education, and government services in their communities using a citizen data approach? In Ghana, the United Nations Development Programme, Ghana Statistical Service, and IIASA put this approach to the test to help uncover the gaps in current public services that most urgently need fixing.

IIASA researchers collaborated with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to develop a new practical guide focused on enhancing the technical robustness and transparency of climate reporting through the development of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals projections. The guide will strengthen national capacities for estimating projections necessary to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement in Latin America and other regions of the world.

Raya Muttarak has been appointed to serve on the third term of the UN High-level Advisory Board (HLAB-III) on Economic and Social Affairs (2025-2027).

Despite decades of global commitments to end poverty, a large share of the world’s population continues to live without reliable access to the services and infrastructure that support basic wellbeing. A new IIASA study presents a detailed picture of poverty that goes beyond traditional income-based measures.

New research led by IIASA reveals a surprising link between two major climate tipping elements: the Southern Amazon rainforest and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). While the study finds that a weakening AMOC may buffer dry season rainfall loss in the Amazon, it also highlights the urgent need to reduce emissions as broader climate risks continue to escalate.

IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber joined leading voices for this year’s Global Delos Gathering, part of the visionary ALPHA MISSION ΔELOS 2025 initiative. Held on the Greek island of Delos, this two-day event was marked by forward-looking dialogue on the ecological and ethical challenges of humanity’s future.

Managing carbon and nitrogen together can bring major benefits for the climate, public health, and ecosystems, while reducing overall costs. This is the key finding of a new study by researchers from IIASA, Zhejiang University, Wageningen University, and Stanford University.

On 30 May 2025, IIASA, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the National Institute for Economic Research of Moldova (NIER) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to improve national migration research and demographic projections to address radical population decline in the country.

A new study by IIASA researchers shows that a more rigorous and widespread application of already tested demand-side policies could get us halfway toward achieving net-zero emissions in residential heating and cooling.

IIASA is proud to host the 2025 cohort of its Young Scientists Summer Program, consisting of 49 PhD students representing 26 nationalities from all over the world.

Trees, shrubs, and other plants along roads and sidewalks play an important role in making cities more resilient to climate change, improving public health, and advancing environmental justice. Yet, tracking its distribution and change over time remains a major challenge – especially across large, rapidly urbanizing regions of the world. A new IIASA-led study addresses this gap.