Environmental Resources and Development

Ecosystems Services and Management’s research group on Environmental Resources and Development (ERD) tackles the many complex interactions between the natural environment and the human systems that affect it in the context of a growing population and climate change, for example, agricultural land use for cropping and forestry, land use change, and livestock management.

© Ironrodart | Dreamstime

© Ironrodart | Dreamstime

In 2013 ERD research looked at livestock production systems and the adaptation responses of agriculture to climate change. Two studies investigated the greenhouse gas mitigation potential of livestock systems transitions at global scale and grassland intensification in Brazil. Another study on the role of the livestock sector in the sustainable development of Africa provided direct input into the policy process regarding livestock sector in African countries 

Adaptation to the future impacts of climate change on the agricultural sector were also investigated, ranging from low cost-field-scale adaptations to large-scale investments that are difficult to reverse and where lock-in could be a problem.

The GLOBIOM model was used to explore three contrasting scenarios showing future more sustainability-minded, globalized, or regionalized worlds. The scenarios were then quantified to provide insights into various policy options that could be used in developed countries to face long-term challenges.


Future scenarios for agriculture, forestry, and greenhouse gas emissions

The GLOBIOM model was used in 2014 to support various long-term prospective exercises focused on agriculture and forestry development. More

Moving livestock toward a more sustainable future

The Ecosystems Services and Management (ESM) Environmental Resources and Developments (ERD) research group upgraded the livestock module of the IIASA model GLOBIOM to make it the state-of-the-art global economic model in terms of livestock sector representation. More

Adaptation response of agriculture to climate change

Scientists from the Ecosystems Services and Management (ESM) Program applied the GLOBIOM model to analyze a large number of climate change scenarios in order to investigate the extent to which producers facing climate change favored irreversible adaptation measures over low-cost field-scale adjustments. More



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Last edited: 07 May 2015

CONTACT DETAILS

Petr Havlík

Program Director and Principal Research Scholar Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program

Research Group Leader and Principal Research Scholar Integrated Biosphere Futures Research Group - Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program

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