News

The Evolution and Ecology Program promotes the systems analysis of living systems by contribution to IIASA’s characteristic research approach.   Listed here are some of the recent newsworthy EEP research and activities:

25 September 2019
Assessing the effects of climate change on future wheat production

Wheat is the world’s largest rain-fed crop in terms of harvested area and supplies about 20% of all calories consumed by humans. A new study has found that unless steps are taken to mitigate climate change, up to 60% of current wheat-growing areas worldwide could see simultaneous, severe and prolonged droughts by the end of the century.  More

11 June 2019
Exploring the causes of persistent corruption

IIASA researchers used a novel approach to explore the key processes and conditions that determine corruption levels. Their analysis shows that transparency about the integrity of institutions is key to fighting corruption, and that vigilance against corruption must be maintained despite its cost, even when corruption levels appear to be low.  More

21 November 2018
Forests under threat

Options Winter 2018/19: The world’s forests are in serious trouble. IIASA researchers are exploring approaches for protecting the environment and ensuring the sustainable management of this important resource.  More

19 September 2018
Reduction of soil microbes limit feedbacks in a warming climate

Soil microbes get more active in warmer temperatures, causing increased CO2 emissions. But a new study shows that in prolonged warming, the amount of microbial biomass decreases, balancing the effect.  More

03 September 2018
IIASA and the University of Koblenz-Landau sign partnership agreement

The University of Koblenz-Landau and IIASA have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a strategic partnership to advance systems analysis and systems thinking in education, research, and knowledge transfer internationally.  More

17 March 2017
Innovative IIASA research highlighted by major journal

Five IIASA studies published in Environmental Research Letters in 2016 were selected for the journal’s Highlights of 2016, as especially innovative or groundbreaking work.  More

06 March 2017
How nature creates forest diversity

Forest ecologists have long sought to understand why so many different species of trees can coexist in the same niche. A modeling study is now providing clues.  More

12 December 2016
Integrated approach vital for fisheries management

A comprehensive perspective on evolutionary and ecological processes is needed in order to understand and manage fisheries in a sustainable way.  More

21 September 2016
Modeling study sheds light on disease eradication

Diseases evolve in response to treatment, frustrating efforts to eradicate them. A new study shows how evolution, population dynamics, and economic factors interact, providing new insight that could help inform efforts to control diseases like malaria.  More

27 April 2016
Protecting fisheries from evolutionary change

Evolutionary changes could lead to reduced fishery yields. A new IIASA study shows how alternative management practices could mitigate the problem in a key North Sea fishery.  More

02 March 2016
New modeling framework sheds light on forest ecology

Modeling forest dynamics is fundamental to the study of future changes in climate and biodiversity. A new modeling framework developed in collaboration with IIASA researchers facilitates investigations of complex vegetation dynamics.  More

04 February 2016
Science communication prize for IIASA researcher

The 2016 Science Book of the Year prize has been awarded to IIASA researcher Karl Sigmund. The prize, awarded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy, was given to Sigmund under the natural science and technology category, for his book about the mathematical and philosophical group, the Vienna Circle.  More

18 January 2016
Awards support the next generation of systems analysis researchers

Expanded awards for young scientists will enable a growing number of outstanding researchers to conduct research at IIASA.  More

01 December 2015
Lazy microbes are key for soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration

Social interactions in microbial communities could explain how much carbon and nitrogen gets stored in soils—providing new insight for climate change research.  More

30 April 2015
The evolution of fish and fisheries

A growing body of research shows how fish populations evolve in response to fishing, and how fisheries must adapt in order to maintain sustainable yields.  More

03 December 2014
Growing cooperation: First the carrot, then the stick

To encourage cooperation in groups, a combination of rewards and penalties is best, according to a new study by researchers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).  More

17 November 2014
Risk analysis for a complex world

Developing adaptable systems for finance and international relations could help reduce the risk of major systemic collapses such as the 2008 financial crisis, according to a new analysis.  More

03 September 2014
Biodiversity in the balance

A new study calls into question the evolutionary stability of an ecological explanation of biodiversity.  More

07 April 2014
The tiniest greenhouse gas emitters

Climate feedbacks from decomposition by soil microbes are one of the biggest uncertainties facing climate modelers. A new study from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the University of Vienna shows that these feedbacks may be less dire than previously thought.  More

25 March 2014
Simon Levin wins Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement

Former IIASA Council Chair Simon Levin has received the2014 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, a prestigious award for research in environmental science.  More

20 December 2013
The footprint of food

December 2013. Options Magazine, Winter 2013/2014 The food we eat has impacts on land, water, forests, and the world’s climate. IIASA research shows the way toward a more sustainable future.  More

03 October 2013
Wealth inequality can promote cooperation

Unequal access to resources can promote cooperation, shows a new study based on evolutionary game theory.  More

17 September 2013
Environmental complexity promotes biodiversity

A new study published in the journal American Naturalist helps explain how spatial variation in natural environments helps spur evolution and give rise to biodiversity.  More

18 July 2013
PNAS: Evolutionary changes could aid fisheries

Sustainable fishing practices could lead to larger fishing yields in the long run, according to a new study that models in detail how ecology and evolution affect the economics of fishing.  More

28 January 2013
Seeing the ocean for the fish

January, 2013: A new study from IIASA researchers and international collaborators provides an innovative tool for fisheries managers and researchers trying to sustainably manage commercial fish stocks.  More

05 December 2012
Evolution: Social exclusion leads to cooperation

Social exclusion as a punishment strategy helps explain the evolution of cooperation, according to new IIASA research.  More

02 April 2012
Picky females promote biodiversity

A new study in Nature by IIASA and University of British Columbia researchers is the first to demonstrate that selective mating alone enables the long-term coexistence of species, given that the choosy mating behavior of females bears a cost and resources are not distributed evenly over space.  More

25 December 2011
Brain function - a new indicator of the burden of aging

Cognitive function might be a better indicator of aging on an economy, than age-distribution  More

20 December 2011
Brain function - a new indicator of the burden of aging

Cognitive function might be a better indicator of the impact of aging on an economy than age-distribution.  More

19 December 2011
Impacts and implications of rapid urbanization in China

Accelerating urbanization in China, spurred by rapid growth and globalization, is the focus of a Population & Environment special issue co-edited by IIASA researchers Landis MacKellar, Gui-Ying Cao, and Jose Siri.  More

09 December 2011
Green Growth and Sustainable Developmente

The symposium Green Growth and Sustainable Development was held at IIASA.  More

02 December 2011
IIASA at COP17 Durban

IIASA and the WBGU will host a side event on December 5 at the COP17 Climate talks in Durban.  More

30 November 2011
High-level Vietnamese delegation visits IIASA

Deputy Prime Minister, H.E. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thien Nhan, of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam visited IIASA as part of an official visit to Austria that focused on science and technology.  More

28 November 2011
Saving lives and protecting our climate through clean cooking options

How to respond to the serious health and environmental concerns related to dependence on dirty cooking fuels is the focus of a Special Issue of the journal Energy Policy.  More

25 November 2011
Fast action could cut near-term climate change

A new report written by an international team, including members of the IIASA GAINS project, was launched today in London ahead of next weeks COP17 climate meeting in Durban.  More

25 November 2011
Contributions to modernization of Russia

Arkady Kryazhimskiy attended the Round Table on Contributions to modernization of Russia held in Berlin.  More

18 November 2011
IPCC report summary: Extreme events increase with climate change

A new IPCC Special Report detects growing risks from extreme climate and weather events linked to human-induced climate change.  More

13 November 2011
Climate policies can resolve energy and air pollution challenges

Policies to protect the global climate offer the most effective entry point for achieving energy sustainability, simultaneously reducing air pollution and improving energy security. By integrating climate and energy policies, major synergies and cost co-benefits can be realized.  More

09 November 2011
World Energy Outlook 2011: Air pollutants scenarios

IIASA researchers contributed to the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2011 with an assessment of global emissions of major air pollutants under three different scenarios.  More

31 October 2011
Global Energy Perspectives: Decarbonization and Efficiency Revolution

The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Austrian Embassy hosted a lecture by IIASA’s Nebojsa Nakicenovic on 31 Oct in Washington, DC. Nakicenovic discussed the technological, institutional, and policy initiatives required to achieve universal energy access, decarbonization, and efficiency improvements. The multiple co-benefits of such energy transformations were also outlined.  More

27 October 2011
7 billion people are not the issue: human development is what counts

Amid concerns about the capacity of the planet to support more people, a panel of population and development experts argue that it is not the number of people that is of concern, but more so their age, education, health status, and location that is most relevant to sustainability.  More

27 October 2011
7 billion people are not the issue - human development is what counts

Amid concerns about the capacity of the planet to support more people, a panel of population and development experts argue that it is not the number of people that is of concern, but more so their age, education, health status, and location that is most relevant to sustainability.  More

25 October 2011
Uncertainty in global land cover maps highlighted

In a paper just published in Environmental Research Letters highlighting discrepancies in cropland and forest classifications between the global land cover datasets, IIASA researchers warn that the spatial disagreements are very high and could impact the outcomes of assessment or modeling exercises.  More

23 October 2011
Feasible emission scenarios to limit temperature rise

A comprehensive re-analysis of GHG emission pathways finds that in scenarios that limit temperature change to below 2°C, emissions peak before 2020 then fall to 41-46 GtC and continue to fall. Global emissions are currently 48 GtC and rising.  More

19 October 2011
IMMOD 2011

Nikita Strelkovsky attended the IMMOD 2011 conference (click here for Russian version only) in St. Petersburg, Russia.  More

10 October 2011
New UN Group to implement Sustainable Energy for All initiative

Nebojsa Nakicenovic has been appointed to the Technical Group of the UN Secretary-General’s (SG) High-level Group on Sustainable Energy for All.  More

07 October 2011
Obersteiner to lecture on environmental resource use

IIASA's Michael Obersteiner speaks on developing a roadmap for more efficient use of environmental resources at the 11 Oct “Resources Unlimited?” conference in Brussels, Belgium.  More

04 October 2011
Young Scientists Summer Program: three months of research at IIASA

IIASA’s Young Scientists Summer Program is accepting on-line applications for a summer of research near Vienna, Austria.  More

03 October 2011
New global science initiative on urban health

The General Assembly of the International Council for Science has endorsed plans for a new global initiative "Health and Wellbeing in the Changing Urban Environment: A Systems Analysis Approach."  More

03 October 2011
Lectures in Trieste, Italy

Arkady Kryazhimskiy gave some lectures in Trieste, Italy at the Advanced School on Understanding and Prediction of Earthquakes and other Extreme Events, at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics.  More

27 September 2011
Details underpinning global climate scenarios published

A Special Issue of Climatic Change, co-edited by IIASA’s Keywan Riahi, outlines four new scenarios of future emissions of GHGs, air pollutants, and land-use change, which will be used by the climate modeling community to develop the next generation of climate simulations.  More

20 September 2011
Eco-evolutionarily based forest modeling

Elena Rovenskaya, together with Oskar Franklin (ESM), reported at the GGI Final Workshop about the achievements of the collaborative ESM/EEP/ASA GGI-funded project Eco-evolutionarily based forest modeling.  More

09 September 2011
Wittgenstein Centre Symposium and official opening

The official opening of the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital Symposium took place on the 29 Sept.  More

09 September 2011
Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital Symposium

The Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital Symposium officially opened on 29 September at the Austrian Parliament, Vienna  More

08 September 2011
Dynamics, Economic Growth and International Trade– DEGIT-XVI

The ASA Program took part in the organization of the International Conference Dynamics, Economic Growth and International Trade– DEGIT-XVI at the Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Control Processes of the St. Petersburg State University.  More

01 September 2011
Energy security and energy access - interconnected global challenges

Energy access and energy security are critical issues for policymakers globally, affecting livelihoods in the developed and the developing world.  More

01 September 2011
Publication Award

The following paper Demography, Education and Democracy: Global Trends and the Case of Iran by Jesus Crespo Cuaresma, Wolfgang Lutz and Mohammad Abbasi-Shavazi won the WU Best Paper Award 2011 of Category 3: foreign business communication, law, humanities, sociology, commercial geography, interdisciplinary works.  More

28 August 2011
18th World Congress of the International Federation of Automatic Control

The 18th World Congress of the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC, http://www.ifac-control.org) took place in Milan (http://www.ifac2011.org).  More

25 August 2011
IIASA co-organizes workshop on biodiversity theories

A workshop to integrate current theories of biodiversity and speciation was held 29–31 Aug in Keszthely, Hungary.  More

28 July 2011
Education - a key determinant of population growth and well-being

Future trends in global population growth could be significantly affected by improvements in both the quality and quantity of education, particularly female education.  More

28 July 2011
Education - a key determinant of population growth and human well-being

Future trends in global population growth could be significantly affected by improvements in both the quality and quantity of education, particularly female education.  More

15 July 2011
Forests dominate in carbon removal

Forests account for virtually all of the atmospheric carbon absorbed by terrestrial ecosystems, according to a new study in Science Express by IIASA Ecosystems Services and Management scientists and an international team of researchers.  More

13 July 2011
IIASA 2011 Post Doc Winners

After a competitive selection process, Narasimha Rao from the United States and Christina Kaiser from Austria were awarded IIASA’s 2011 Post Doc Scholarships, which will allow them to conduct research relevant to IIASA's research agenda.  More

01 July 2011
Anatolij P. Shpak 1949–2011

Academician Anatolij P. Shpak, the first Vice-President of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Ukraine and the Council Member representing Ukraine on IIASA's Governing Council, has recently died at the age of 62.  More

29 June 2011
Developing a sustainable development framework for RIO+20

IIASA’s Energy program and the UN DESA hosted an Expert Group Meeting on Sustainable Development Scenarios for the 21st Century (27–29 June), in preparation for the RIO+20 Summit.  More

28 June 2011
Fertility rates affected by global economic crisis

The global economic recession of 2008–2009 has been followed by a decline in fertility rates in Europe and the United States, bringing to an end the first concerted rise in fertility rates across the developed world since the 1960s.  More

21 June 2011
Energy access and efficiency focus of Vienna Energy Forum

Universal access to modern energy services and increasing energy efficiency were key issues addressed at the Vienna Energy Forum, 21–23 June. A  More

14 June 2011
New pollutant assessment urges fast action to limit warming

A new assessment, released today at a UNFCCC meeting in Bonn, identifies the complementary benefits to human health and the environment of reducing black carbon and ozone, pollutants that are also implicated in global temperature rise.  More

08 June 2011
New technologies needed to combat global warming

IIASA Deputy Director and energy economist Nebojsa Nakicenovic has co-edited, with Yale University’s William Nordhaus, a special issue of the journal Energy Economics that contains a collection of articles on, “The economics of technologies to combat global warming.”  More

01 June 2011
IIASA welcomes young scientists

Fifty-five young scientists from 27 countries have commenced IIASA's annual Young Scientists Summer Program in Laxenburg.  More

31 May 2011
100% renewable electricity in Europe and North Africa

IIASA’s Anthony Patt and Johan Lilliestam are co-authors of the report 'Moving towards 100% renewable electricity in Europe and North Africa'.  More

25 May 2011
IIASA GAINS model underpins new ozone simulator

Toyota, in collaboration with IIASA, Tsinghua University (China) and TERI (India), have developed a model to analyze and predict trophospheric ozone concentrations across South and East Asia.  More

24 May 2011
IIASA participates in Austrian Delegation

Nebojsa Nakicenovic joined the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Research Delegation to Buenos Aires (24-26 May).  More

19 May 2011
GAINS model underpins new Arctic Council report

IIASA GAINS is one of two models underpinning a new report presented at the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting, 12 May.  More

11 May 2011
IIASA selects participants for Young Scientists Summer Program

Fifty-five students from 27 countries have been selected for IIASA’s Young Scientists Summer Program.  More

10 May 2011
IPCC Special Report on renewable energy sources

IIASA’s Volker Krey, Keywan Riahi, Yu Nagai and several GEA Lead Authors are among contributors to the IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy, the Summary of which was approved by governments at the 11th session of IPCC Working Group III, 5-8 May.  More

03 May 2011
New report urges immediate action to protect global forests

IIASA forestry models underpin the WWF’s Living Forests Report. The report is based on a new global analysis indicating that more than 230 million ha of forest will disappear by 2050 if no action is taken.  More

14 April 2011
Global Energy Assessment briefing to UN Ambassadors

Nebojsa Nakicenovic presented preliminary findings of the Global Energy Assessment (GEA) to UN Ambassadors from 26 countries who have formed the ‘Group of Friends of Sustainable Energy for All’.  More

13 April 2011
Socio-economic co-evolution of Russia and Ukraine

A workshop, organized by the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, used systems analysis to explore the future co-development of the Russian and Ukrainian socio-economic systems.  More

12 April 2011
Wolfgang Lutz presents to Austrian Parliament

Wolfgang Lutz spoke at a public session of the Austrian Parliament on the multiple benefits to health, economic prosperity, and democracy of investing in education.  More

11 April 2011
European Nitrogen Assessment released

Nitrogen pollution costs the EU between €70-€320 billion annually. This is a key finding of a new study on the impacts of N, which is essential for food production, but is contributing to climate change and biodiversity loss.  More

07 April 2011
New options for achieving a climate-compatible society

The German Advisory Council on Climate Change presented its new report, "World in Transition - A Social Contract for Sustainability," to the German Federal Government. The writing team, including IIASA’s Nebojsa Nakicenovic and Niels Schulz, outline recommendations on how to achieve a climate-compatible society.  More

01 April 2011
2011 IIASA Alumni Day

All former colleagues are invited to the 2011 Alumni Day, 19 May.  More

17 March 2011
IIASA expresses sympathy to Japan

The devastating earthquake, tsunami, and ensuing problems with the nuclear reactors in Japan are of deep concern to all of us at IIASA.  More

07 March 2011
Improved cropland map for sub-Saharan Africa

By combining five existing cropland data sets from sub-Saharan Africa, IIASA researchers have created a new map which has higher accuracy than existing maps and should reduce uncertainty and improve predictions in land use, vegetation, climate change, and earth systems modeling.  More

04 March 2011
Hedging against disaster: pooled risk management for megacities

By 2030 some 500 million Asians are expected to live in megacities - urban areas with populations exceeding 10 million - that are at risk from earthquakes, cyclones, and flooding.  More

24 February 2011
New study outlines options for reducing black carbon and ozone

The IIASA GAINS model underpins a major assessment of options to reduce black carbon and ozone, pollutants that impact human health and climate.  More

23 February 2011
Wolfgang Lutz lectured on education and sustainable development

IIASA demographer Wolfgang Lutz highlighted the importance of female education in lowering fertility rates and child mortality in developing countries in a lecture 2 March at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Washington, DC.  More

18 February 2011
Peter E. de Janosi 1928 - 2011

IIASA's sixth Director, Dr. Peter E. de Janosi, recently died at the age of 82.  More

18 February 2011
Brazil joins IIASA

The Center for Strategic Studies and Management Science, Technology and Innovation (CGEE) in Brazil has joined IIASA to become the Institute’s nineteenth National Member Organization and its first from South America.  More

09 February 2011
Malaysia joins IIASA

Malaysia has joined IIASA with the Academy of Sciences Malaysia becoming the Institute’s newest National Member Organization.  More

07 February 2011
Finland studies climate change effects on natural resources

A IIASA analysis of the effects of climate change and abatement policies on the value of natural resources in Northern Europe and the Arctic Sea area was presented to the Finnish Prime Minister’s Economic Council during recent considerations of Finland’s Arctic Strategy.  More

02 February 2011
New model shows how microbes influence nutrient cycling

A new model developed by IIASA’s Oskar Franklin and partners in MICDIF demonstrates how microbes, such as bacteria, adjust their composition to maximize their growth, which may influence large scale nutrient cycling in ecosystems.  More

31 January 2011
New Centre on population and education research opens in Vienna

IIASA, the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Vienna University of Economics and Business have established the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital.  More

20 January 2011
IIASA awards Mikhalevich and Peccei scholarships

Elisabeth Wetterlund, of Sweden’s Linköping University, and Carl Salk, of Duke University in the USA, won IIASA’s scholarship awards for their 2010 Young Scientists Summer Program research.  More

19 January 2011
Postdoctoral Program offering scholarships

IIASA is accepting on-line applications for the 2011 Postdoctoral Program, which provides young scholars with up to two years of hands-on professional experience in an international scientific environment near Vienna, Austria.  More



Print this page

Last edited: 22 August 2019

CONTACT DETAILS

Darina Zlatanova

Program and Project Officer Advancing Systems Analysis Program

Program and Project Officer Cooperation and Transformative Governance Research Group - Advancing Systems Analysis Program

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Phone: (+43 2236) 807 0 Fax:(+43 2236) 71 313