Page - 9 - in options, Volume winter 2016/2017

science into policy 9winter 2016/2017 + optionswww.iiasa.ac.at iiasa research Improving air quality in India IIASA researchers presented their latest findings on preventing air pollution in Delhi at a workshop in fall 2016. Researchers from  IIASA and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute in Nagpur are developing city‑specific versions of the  IIASA Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies model. This will help urban planners in Delhi and Kolkata to identify the most cost‑effective measures for reducing air pollution at the same time as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. www.iiasa.ac.at/events/IndiaGains-16 A systems view of geohazards The Data Intensive Systems Analysis for  Geohazard Studies conference— co‑organized by IIASA, the Geophysical Center Russian Academy of Sciences, and the  Ministry of Education and Science of the  Russian Federation—explored the latest  advances in systems analysis and its application to geophysical observations, data mining, and geo‑informatics. This year the IIASA Arctic Futures Initiative held a workshop to learn about Russian research on climatic, geophysical, and ecological extremes in the Arctic region. www.iiasa.ac.at/events/Sochi-16 Evidence & policy in the EU & Africa To develop the necessary skills to integrate evidence into policy making, IIASA and the European and African Union Commissions organized a three‑day event this fall. The focus was on the water–energy–food nexus, with both policymakers and researchers attending. Participants developed their working practices in both the scientific and policy‑making domains via master classes and group work. www.iiasa.ac.at/events/EUAfricaPolicy-16 Monitoring water security Water security around the globe is under increasing threat. To help improve the situation, the Water Futures and Solutions Initiative at IIASA has developed a novel indicator for measuring water security and challenges. The “hydro‑economic” classification system combines hydrological measures (such as the total renewable water resources per capita, the intensity of water use, and the variability of monthly runoff) with measures of economic or institutional capacity (such as gross domestic product per capita). pure.iiasa.ac.at/11676 Invest in energy to cut air  pollution deaths J ust a small increase in energy investment could cut premature deaths from air  pollution in half by 2040, says a new report which was underpinned by key  contributions from the IIASA Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases Program. The International Energy Authority (IEA) published its World Energy Outlook report in June 2016, highlighting the links between energy, air pollution, and  health. It also identified ways in which the energy sector can improve poor air quality, one of the top threats to human health. IIASA researchers contributed to the report by quantifying the air pollution and health  impacts of projections of alternative energy policy interventions. Their analysis relied on the Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies model. The report shows that energy production and use—mostly from unregulated, poorly  regulated, or inefficient fuel combustion—are the most important anthropogenic sources of key air pollutants: 85% of particulate matter and almost all of the sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Millions of tons of these pollutants are released into the atmosphere each year, from factories, power plants, cars, trucks, as well as the 2.7  billion people still relying on polluting stoves and fuels for cooking (mainly wood, charcoal, and other biomass). However, air quality in the future is not set in stone; it is a policy choice. The  report presents strategies tailored to various countries to deliver cleaner air for  all. A Clean Air Scenario demonstrates how energy policy choices backed by just a 7% increase in total energy investment through 2040 produce a sharp improvement in health. With this investment, premature deaths from outdoor air pollution would decline by 1.7  million in 2040 and those from household pollution would fall  by 1.6 million annually. DB Further info §  OECD, IEA, IIASA  (2016). Energy and Air Pollution: World Energy Outlook Special Report 2016. International Energy Agency, Paris, France [pure.iiasa.ac.at/13467]. §  www.iiasa.ac.at/news/EnergyAirPollution‑16 Markus Amann amann@iiasa.ac.at