In 2010, 925 million people were undernourished (FAO) and 884 million people had inadequate access to safe freshwater (WHO & UNICEF). Yet demand for food and water is only set to increase, as the world’s population continues to grow. Food and water are intricately linked—agriculture accounts for 70 percent of freshwater withdrawals, according to UN-Water—and only research that is truly interdisciplinary and integrated will identify effective and efficient policy options. But just as food and water should not be studied in isolation, the world’s food and water challenges cannot be researched without taking into account ecosystems, climate change, energy, economic and social systems, among others. Systems analysis is one of the few approaches that provide this integrated, long-term, and solution-oriented perspective; and systems analysis is central to IIASA’s new strategy.
Options Magazine, Summer 2011: Over the next decade, IIASA will study three interlinked global problem areas: Food and Water, Energy and Climate Change, and Poverty and Equity. The Food and Water Research Area will focus on how to improve the management of the world’s land, water resources, and ecosystems. More
Options Magazine, Summer 2011: Food versus fuel isn’t the answer. Integrated land management and sustainable intensification are. More
Options Magazine, Summer 2011: Pressure from large-scale commercial fishing, as well as intense recreational and sport fishing, is accelerating evolution in some fish populations and threatening the sustainability of fisheries. Scientists are responding with tools to conduct evolutionary impact assessments that can lead to better management of fisheries. More
Options Magazine, Summer 2011: Melting permafrost, dying forests, and fragile ecosystems, combined with poor resource management, means climate change could hit the Russian people especially hard. More
Options Magazine, Summer 2011: High quality feed, improved breeding, and reduced disease significantly improve production. More
Options Magazine, Summer 2011: GAINS model shows rise in damaging agricultural nitrogen More
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International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
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