ASRT
– The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is a non-governmental research organization located near Vienna, Austria. The institute conducts inter-disciplinary scientific studies on environmental, economic, technological and social issues in the context of human dimensions of global change. It is sponsored by its National Member Organizations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.
– IIASA researchers study environmental, economic, technological, and social developments. In doing so, they generate methods and tools useful to both decision makers and the scientific community. The work is based on original state-of-the-art methodology and analytical approaches and links a variety of natural and social science disciplines.
– Since IIASA’s inception in 1972, it has been the site of successful international scientific collaboration in addressing areas of concern for all advanced societies, such as energy, water, environment, risk and human settlement.
– Now, after over three decades of valuable contributions to science and policy, IIASA continues as a reputed center for innovative research, international interdisciplinary collaboration, conferences and workshops, and networking among scientists around the world.
– Because of its non-governmental status, IIASA is independent and can provide non-political and unbiased perspectives. This neutrality and impartiality is particularly valued by those who utilize the institute’s research findings.
– IIASA is sponsored by scientific National Member Organizations in nations from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Each NMO nominates one representative to IIASA’s executive council, which generally oversees the institute’s development.
Research
The Institute’s goals are:
– to choose problems solutions for which will benefit the public, the scientific community, and national and international institutions;
– to address critical issues in an innovative manner;
– to provide timely and relevant information and policy analyses.
– In principle, research scholars at IIASA study the ways in which people affect the natural environment and in turn are affected by it.
– The focus is on dynamics of selected ecosystems the atmosphere, water resources, the biosphere, the soil and their relationship to humans. Specific concerns are emissions, transformation, and transport of toxic materials and pollutants; changes in water resource availability and quality; degradation and remediation of biological resources; and the causes and effects of land use and land cover changes.