Page - 30 - in options, Volume winter 2018/2019

IIASA corner Science Diplomacy Officer Sergey Sizov explains the vital importance of science diplomacy at IIASA and the different aspects of his role “Simply put, science diplomacy is the ‘legs’ of any research study that allows it to find its way to relevant government authorities. Scientists create knowledge, and if we want this knowledge to be implemented, it should be communicated to policymakers who have the power to act for the benefit of people. Science diplomacy is how we make the knowledge workable for policymakers dealing with foreign affairs,” explains Sizov. Sizov has a legal background and is originally from Moscow. Prior to joining IIASA in 2016, he had a successful ten-year career as a Russian diplomat. As part of his duties, he works closely with Jan Marco Müller, the head of directorate and science diplomacy coordinator, to facilitate the interaction of IIASA with the relevant ministries of focus countries, multiple intergovernmental organizations, and diplomatic corps. Good connections with the latter, he explains, are very important, since the image of IIASA in world capitals is largely formed by the reports of ambassadors accredited in Vienna. “Working with diplomatic and policy communities is a specific, but also exciting mission. You can invite people from all over the world to address topical scientific challenges. That is also the role of science diplomacy – to help build bridges and foster mutually beneficial cooperation between different nations. Not being constrained by any political bias, IIASA is the perfect partner and platform for such dialogue. You can be creative, you can explore any dimension, and help to implement the knowledge that IIASA generates,” says Sizov. ‘Science diplomacy is how we make knowledge workable’ © IIASA ISWEL Project Officer Barbara Willaarts explains the importance of an integrated approach Barbara Willaarts joined IIASA in January 2017, as project officer and research scholar on the Integrated Solutions for Water, Energy, and Land (ISWEL) project. Originally from the Netherlands, Willaarts grew up in Spain and has a background in environmental science. “During my postdoc it became very obvious to me that if we aim to manage water sustainably it is vital to have a holistic, systems thinking approach, because water is a key resource and decisions taken in isolation ultimately have impacts on all sectors,” says Willaarts. ISWEL is an ideal fit, looking at cost- effective solutions to meet future water, energy, and land demands under different climate change scenarios, both globally and focused on the Indus basin in Asia and the Zambezi basin in Africa. Willaarts helps to coordinate the work of 25 IIASA researchers from multiple programs, while also doing her own research. She works to establish stakeholder contacts, including at government level and research organizations, to develop capacity and foster an integrated, nexus approach to river basin management. At a recent conference in Zimbabwe, it became apparent that efforts are paying off. The Zambezi Watercourse Commission is increasingly focusing on the nexus approach and transboundary and cross-sector cooperation, by, for example, balancing an upstream country’s desire for hydropower with the irrigation needs of farmers in downstream countries. “Our goal is that ISWEL delivers knowledge and tools that can be used and expanded beyond the lifetime of the project, so stakeholders in the basin can take ownership of these and spread it,” says Willaarts. “It is really rewarding.” Written by: Helen Tunnicliffe Written by: Helen Tunnicliffe Bringing the nexus approach to water decision making People profiles Sergey Sizov: sizov@iiasa.ac.at Barbara Willaarts: willaart@iiasa.ac.at 30 www.iiasa.ac.atOptions Winter 2018/19