In a new commentary, two deeply rooted assumptions in global demographic debates are challenged: that fertility will rebound as societies develop, and that “replacement-level fertility” is an ideal to be pursued. Drawing on the latest evidence, the authors show that neither view is supported by available data and argue that persistently low fertility can be sustainable and even economically desirable.
The International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum (IVECF) 2026 will take place over two days from 9-10 April 2026, at the historic Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Co-organized by UNIDO, the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria, the Austrian Development Agency, and IIASA, in cooperation with other Vienna-based international organizations and partners, the IVECF 2026 will convene global leaders from governments, international organizations, industry, academia, development partners and civil society, under the theme “Powering Prosperity, Security and Stability”.
IIASA Deputy Director General, Karen Lips, will participate in the First Ukrainian–European Science Diplomacy Forum that will take place in Vienna on Thursday, 12 March 2026. The event will bring together senior representatives from European and Ukrainian ministries, the European Commission, UNESCO, international research organizations, funding bodies, leading universities, and Ukrainian science diaspora networks.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) methods are becoming increasingly important in both science and society. In climate science - where complex biophysical and societal processes interact across diverse temporal and spatial scales, and datasets are often large, heterogenous and incomplete - AI and ML methods offer new powerful solutions.
Validating disaster and climate resilience: how to create a gold standard for resilience-measurement
As climate risks intensify, fostering community resilience has become a global priority but a fundamental question remains for practice and policy: how can resilience be defined, measured, and proven to inform implementation? Together with the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance, IIASA researchers have spent more than a decade developing and scientifically validating a universally-applicable framework to measure community resilience, turning a concept into an evidence-based tool to guide real-world implementation in the most vulnerable communities across the globe.