Article: News
13 September 2023
Boreal forests often bring to mind a winter wonderland: spruce and pine forests as far as the eye can see, fluffy snow dotted with reindeer beneath a nighttime sky brightened by the aurora borealis. Climate change threatens this fragile, pristine habitat that spans 8 countries in the far north. Now boreal forests are associated not just with snowy landscapes, they are becoming synonymous with raging wildfires and massive plumes of smoke, such as those found currently in Canada.
Mitigating the threats posed by climate change in this unique ecosystem and discussing the most recent boreal-related research is the focus of the International Boreal Forest Association conference. Organized in large part by IIASA’s own Florian Kraxner, IBFRA 2023 was held in Helsinki, Finland, where researchers from around the globe gathered to discuss recent findings, foster new connections, and contribute to a plan of attack to save boreal forests as we know them.
Article: News
30 August 2023
Every summer, IIASA turns into a buzzing hub of knowledge seekers, and this year is no different! The AFE FLAM team welcomed three interns and three YSSP fellows this summer and we took a moment to chat with Rasheed, Adrian, Laura, and Lawrence about their experiences and goals.
Research Project
Building Arctic Futures: Transport Infrastructures and Sustainable Northern Communities (INFRANORTH)
The "new Arctic" is drawing global interest due to geopolitics, militarization, resource exploration, tourism, and rising environmental alarms amidst swift climate shifts. As transport infrastructures evolve or expand, a pressing concern emerges: Will these frameworks bolster enduring human settlement and sustainable Arctic living, or will they favor transient dwellers like tourists and shift workers? Could transport systems be the key to preserving northern communities?
Article: News
31 January 2022
The carbon stock in managed boreal forest landscapes is increasing, while it is relatively unchanged in less intensively utilized forests where carbon losses due to forest fires have instead been significant during 1990-2017, according to a new report by the International Boreal Forest Research Association (IBFRA).
Event
Palais des Congrès de Montréal, Québec, Canada hybrid format
IIASA Director General Albert van Jaarsveld will participate in a panel discussion at the 4th International Conference on Science Advice to Government. The discussion will focus on how science advice can inform complex risk assessment to deal with complex, new, and interacting threats.
Event
Montreal, Canada
IIASA is co-organizing an Arctic simulation that will provide early career researchers in Canada with an opportunity to explore international science diplomacy through an immersive role-play experience and a virtual simulation proposed by the Centre for Systems Solutions (CRS).
Event
Virtual event
IIASA Director General and CEO Albert van Jaarsveld will participate in the Second Global Forum of Funders - a platform bringing together together leaders from national research funding agencies, foundations and development aid agencies, as well as eminent individuals across the globe who share a common vision of advancing science for a sustainable future for all.
Event
Virtual meeting
IIASA researcher Alexia Fürnkranz-Prskawetz and IIASA alumnus Verena Winiwarter will speak at this year’s Joint Academy Day between the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of Canada. Discussion will focus on global challenges such as food security, environmental change, poverty, and sustainable responses to Covid-19.
Event
Virtual meeting
IIASA organized two panels at the first online Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC) 2020. These offered participants the opportunity to join a live policy simulation about complex Arctic policies and explore horizon scanning, foresight, and scenario mapping as tools to solve the multifaceted issues of tomorrow.
Article: Blog Post
03 June 2020
As Canadian expats in Austria, one of the things that has particularly struck my family and I is the orderliness with which the country is dealing with the pandemic. As quarantine policies were put into place, we saw panic toilet paper hoarding in other countries, but here in Austria people were (amazingly) compliant and seemed to obey instructions and timelines provided by the authorities. We never worried about our basic needs. Grocery stores were always well stocked, public transit was always there and on time – and masks were readily available when required as physical barrier to protect others.