IIASA news on COVID-19

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28 October 2021: How recovery from COVID-19 and climate policies might affect the use of “clean” cooking fuels 

Replacing polluting cooking fuels with clean-burning ones can save lives and reduce our impact on the environment. A group of IIASA researchers shows how recovery from the pandemic and climate mitigation policies might affect access to clean fuels.

11 October 2021: How recovery from COVID-19’s impact on energy demand could help meet climate targets

The pandemic-related drop in greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 was likely the largest on record in a single year, but how our recovery might affect future emissions is less clear. New modeling examines alternative scenarios and how they could impact climate mitigation targets.

6 October 2021: Where we went wrong in tracking COVID-19 and how to fix it

The COVID-19 pandemic has made painfully clear that our global infectious disease monitoring system is not up to the task. Report after report points to missed opportunities for detecting and acting on the outbreak’s early signs and the devastating resulting loss of life.

15 July 2021: Tracking COVID-19 across Europe

According to the World Health Organization, a third wave of COVID infections is now all but inevitable in Europe. A COVID tracker developed by IIASA researcher Asjad Naqvi, aims to identify, collect, and collate various official regional datasets for European countries, while also combining and homogenizing the data to help researchers and policymakers explore how the virus spreads.

05 February 2021: Advancing scientific cooperation on pandemic research

IIASA and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) are proud to announce the winners of their joint call for research proposals around the COVID-19 pandemic.

25 January 2021: Transformations within reach: Pathways to a sustainable and resilient world

It is clear that COVID-19 has drastically changed our world, but how can we use the lessons learnt to build a more resilient and sustainable future? The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the International Science Council (ISC) have drawn on the combined strengths and expertise of the two organizations to help find a way forward.

06 November 2020: Carbon pricing could prompt greener, smarter post-COVID recovery

Countries across the globe have been struggling to deal with the impact of COVID-19 and the accompanying economic slowdown. As economies “build back better”, it may be an opportune time to introduce carbon pricing to tackle climate change while generating socioeconomic benefits, according to new interdisciplinary policy research by philosophers and economists.

15 October 2020: Fraction of COVID-19 recovery funds could boost climate efforts

Global stimulus plans for economic recovery after the pandemic could easily cover climate-friendly policies, suggests new study.

17 September 2020: COVID-19 could cause declines in life expectancy in severely affected areas

A new analysis of period life expectancy around the world shows that the COVID-19 pandemic could cause a short-term decline in life expectancy in many regions of the world.

03 August 2020: Evaluating the effectiveness of travel bans

With the reopening of flights during the summer holiday season in Europe, many countries have started to see an increase in COVID-19 infections. A new IIASA-led study sheds light on how COVID-19 spreads regionally and between countries, as well as on how effective governmental measures to curb the spread of the pandemic have been to date. 

07 July 2020: Innovations for sustainability in a post-pandemic future

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust the world into turmoil and disrupted the status quo, but it is also providing opportunities for innovation in the way we live and work. According to the latest report released by The World in 2050 initiative, the crisis can provide an opportunity to create sustainable societies with higher levels of wellbeing for all.

19 June 2020: Coronavirus: a wake-up call to strengthen the global food system

A new commentary in the journal One Earth highlights not only climate-related risks to the global food system, such as drought and floods, but also exposes the coronavirus pandemic as a shock to the system that has led to food crises in many parts of the world. To address the challenges of a globally interconnected food system, a systems approach is required.

27 May 2020: Building pathways to sustainability in a post COVID-19 world

IIASA and the International Science Council (ISC) have established a partnership combining the strengths and expertise of the two organizations to define and design sustainability pathways, through a multi-stakeholder dialogue, that will enable a more equitable post COVID-19 world. 

21 April 2020: Economic recovery after shutdown could take up to three years

The coronavirus pandemic poses an enormous challenge for the domestic and global economy. Despite the measures taken by the Austrian government, the consequences of the lockdown and partial suspension of global trade flows will be felt for a long time.  

31 March 2020: COVID-19: Visualizing regional indicators for better decision making

As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the globe, it is fast becoming clear that no one is exempt from its disruptive effects. IIASA researchers are working to visualize key demographic and socioeconomic information to help inform decisions by health professionals, governments, and policymakers to address the crisis.

20 May 2021: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the urban poor?

Benigna Boza-Kiss, Shonali Pachauri, and Caroline Zimm explain how COVID-19 has impacted the poor in cities and what can be done to increase the future resilience of vulnerable populations.

15 April 2021: Using the COVID-19 pandemic to transform the energy sector

COVID-19 has disrupted the global energy sector, but it has also revealed opportunities. The International Science Council’s Husam Ibrahim explains.

8 April 2021: Restructuring the food system after COVID-19

The International Science Council’s Husam Ibrahim summarizes the IIASA-ISC Resilient Food Systems Report’s insights into how COVID-19 is impacting the food system and lessons learned from the pandemic.

25 March 2021: Enhancing science systems and bouncing forward sustainably from COVID-19

COVID-19 saw people turn to science for reliable solutions, and actionable advice. The IIASA-ISC Strengthening Science Systems report addresses how science can be better prepared for future crises.

18 March 2021: Learning from COVID-19 and upgrading sustainable governance

The International Science Council (ISC)’s Husam Ibrahim writes about insights gained from the recent IIASA-ISC Enhancing Governance for Sustainability Report.

17 December 2020: The footprint of COVID-19 on carbon emissions and future work at IIASA

Greg Davies-Jones finds out how COVID-19 has lightened the carbon footprint of IIASA and how it plans to integrate sustainability into future activities.

19 August 2020: How COVID-19 complicates the journey for climate migrants

2020 IIASA Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP) participant Lisa Thalheimer shares her journey in researching climate-related migration in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of taking mental health issues into account in climate science and the policy realm.

14 August 2020: The coronavirus crisis as an opportunity for an innovative future

IIASA Emeritus Scholar Nebojsa Nakicenovic explains how the societal disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic can offer an opportunity for a more sustainable and innovative future.

11 August 2020: What did we learn from COVID-19 models?

IIASA researcher Sibel Eker explores the usefulness and reliability of COVID-19 models for informing decision making about the extent of the epidemic and the healthcare problem.

15 June 2020: The IIASA COVID-19 dashbord

Tadeusz Bara-Slupski discusses his company’s recent collaboration with IIASA to develop an interactive COVID-19 data visualization tool.

5 June 2020: The female face of COVID-19 infections in Europe

Does COVID-19 affect men and women differently? Tomas Sobotka sheds light on the demographics of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe.

3 June 2020: COVID-19 – Let’s not forget the humans

Nicole Arbour shares why it is important it to remember the human factor in the global pandemic. 

6 May 2020: Resilience thinking: Preparing for and recovering from COVID-19 in the context of compound risks

Finn Laurien and Reinhard Mechler share how systems resilience measurement can prepare communities facing multiple threats like Covid-19 and disaster and climate risks.

29 April 2020:  Air travel and COVID-19: How effective are travel bans?

Tamás Krisztin discusses the air travel restrictions instituted by governments across the globe and how effective they really are in terms of curbing the spread of COVID-19.

22 April 2020:  Lifting COVID-19 restrictions: Visualizing real-time Twitter sentiments

Santosh Karanam describes his efforts to visualize people’s reactions to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in real time as they are expressed on Twitter.

15 April 2020: COVID-19: An unprecedented shock to social and economic systems