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The fifth IIASA National and Regional Member Organizations (NMOs/RMO) engagement workshop will take place on 17 and 18 October 2023 and is part of the activities of the Strategic Initiatives Program. The workshop will identify global and regional challenges with significant strategic impact for IIASA member organizations. The event provides an opportunity to shape the program's research agenda for the next round of proposals.

Accurate estimates and forecasts of crop area and yield play an important role in guiding policy decisions related to food security, especially in light of the growing impacts of climate change. IIASA researchers and colleagues highlight the value of integrating remote sensing and data sharing for timely agricultural information critical for food security and sustainability planning in a new paper.    

Climate impacts in one location that propagate to other locations through trade and value chains, development and security policies, and financial systems, may have disrupting effects similar to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war on Ukraine. These effects are not easily represented in traditional analysis frameworks and need to be embedded in the wider context of social vulnerability and climate change. The conference aims to bring together scientists across disciplines that work on approaches to better understand and respond/adapt to cross-border climate impacts and risks. The conference also seeks to identify knowledge gaps and directions for future research. Research presented in the conference will highlight what needs arise from a consideration of cross-border climate impacts, how to design research that is actionable for decision-making or how to improve the monitoring of risks.

IIASA researchers Teresa Deubelli-Hwang and Jung Hee Hyun share insights from a decade of collaborating on fostering flood resilience in communities around the world following a recent Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance learning event.  

Working with IIASA researchers, Ghana has adopted a citizen science approach to addressing the problem of plastic pollution in marine environments, becoming the first country to integrate this type of data on marine plastic litter into its official monitoring and reporting processes. A new study presents this innovative approach on Ghana’s citizen science journey and offers a pathway that can potentially be adopted in other countries.

Due to limited availability and strong interest in the Tipping Points Modelling Intercomparison Project (TIPMIP) “Towards TIPMIP” WE Heraeus Foundation seminar in November, we are pleased to announce an additional community-wide, online-only event: TIPMIP for All, to be held on 9 October 2023 from 16:00-18:00 CET.

Join us for this webinar series that aims to advance the knowledge about tipping elements, irreversibility, and abrupt changes in the Earth system. This installment will focus on ecological tipping points and resilience.

On 18 September 2023, IIASA will host a meeting of its National Member Organizations (NMOs) and Regional Member Organization (RMO) Secretaries. This gathering will unite representatives from diverse countries to discuss and strengthen their partnerships with IIASA.

The International Data Week, which will take place on 23–26 October 2023, will bring together a global community of data scientists and data stewards; researchers from all domains; data, interoperability and informatics experts from all fields; industry leaders, entrepreneurs and policymakers. Dilek Fraisl and Ian McCallum from the Novel Data Ecosystems for Sustainability will be participating.

IIASA is proud to announce the launch of its Flagship Report, "Systems Analysis for Sustainable Wellbeing. 50 Years of IIASA Research, 40 Years After the Brundtland Commission, Contributing to the Post-2030 Global Agenda” on Wednesday, 13 September 2023 at an official UN event in the framework of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and the Sustainable Development Goals mid-term review.

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.

Replacing 50% of meat and milk products with plant-based alternatives by 2050 can reduce agriculture and land use related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 31% and halt the degradation of forest and natural land, according to new research.

Climate change and increases in drought and rainstorms pose serious challenges to water management, not only in terms of the quantity of water, but also its quality. However, according to the most recent IPCC report, our current understanding of this issue is inadequate. To fill this gap, an international group of scientists has brought together a large body of research on water quality in rivers worldwide.

Africa has great potential for the implementation of hydropower, but there are political and environmental concerns that planners must consider if they want to ensure a more reliable power supply for their citizens. IIASA researcher Giacomo Falchetta delved into this issue in an article recently published on The Conversation.

New research by an international team challenges the common narrative linking climate change to migration. The findings emphasize the importance of human development factors over climate considerations and reveal the complexity of migration patterns often obscured by national averages.

A team of researchers from IIASA’s Systemic Risk and Resilience (Advancing Systems Analysis Program) is primed to present their work at the highly anticipated 7th "Adaptation Futures" conference at the Palais des congrès de Montréal in Canada this October. Adaptation Futures is the premier international conference devoted entirely to climate change adaptation. It brings together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, industry representatives, and communicators to present their work in adaptation, learn from others, and establish networks. The conference provides a vibrant platform for IIASA researchers to spotlight their cutting-edge work on managing systemic risks and increasing resilience against climate impacts.  

Policy Brief #39, September 2023. The strong support for nature-based solutions voiced by the European Commission will require urgent policy reforms if Member States are to fulfil the United Nation’s ambition of tripling investments in nature by 2030 to meet climate and biodiversity targets.