Cross-cutting projects
Equitable Governance of Common Goods
In a “tragedy of the commons” individuals, acting according to their own self-interest, behave contrary to the best interests of the wider group by depleting or degrading a common resource. The Equitable Governance of Common Goods project will help avoid such tragedies by improving the regulation of open resources. More
Socioeconomic Heterogeneity in Model Applications
Population diversity in terms of age, sex, education, and differences in income, behavior, and location can all influence human consumption patterns, and in turn the assessment of their environmental impacts. The Socioeconomic Heterogeneity in Model Applications (SCHEMA) project investigated how these factors might affect patterns of global change. The geographical focus has been on India, a developing country with high socioeconomic contrasts, as a proof of concept. More
Systemic Risk and Network Dynamics
The Systemic Risk and Network Dynamics project will examine how different types of systems, ranging from financial to ecological and beyond, are at risk of cascades of failures. As well as assessing this risk, this cross-cutting project will develop tools to help prevent such events. More
Climate community scenario framework
This project will involve the development of spatially explicit information on emissions and land-use changes for the project Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6, as well as extension of the Representative Concentration Pathways-Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (RCPs-SSPs) framework for climate impacts, vulnerability, adaptation, and mitigation. More
Dynamic vegetation models: the next generation
Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs) are invaluable for understanding the biosphere. However, as currently implemented by the international research community, these models suffer from a challenging accumulation of uncertainty. This project aims to address this problem by developing the foundations of a new generation of models centered on a “missing law” – adaptation and optimization principles rooted in natural selection. More
Shale Gas – A Possible Bridge toward Sustainable Energy Futures?
The Shale Gas project at IIASA examined whether shale gas could contribute to the transformation towards sustainability. Assessing the technological, economic, social, and environmental issues involved, the project conducted a systems analysis of future opportunities and barriers to incorporating shale gas into energy systems. More
Other IIASA research projects
Models and Tools
Research Partners
Achievements