Land Use Systems: MetaData
Since 1972 the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) has contributed to finding solutions to global problems by conducting independent and interdisciplinary systems analysis across a wide spectrum of environmental, social, technological, and economic issues.
IIASA has several programs with experience relating to the Food and Water problem area. Among them, the former Land Use Change and Agriculture (LUC) Program has significant strengths in systems analysis of agriculture, land use change and ecosystems studies, providing core experience in the Food and Water problem area and with strong linkages to poverty and equity, climate change impacts and adaptation, and transition to a bio-based economy. Products developed or initiated by LUC serve many of the modeling and analysis needs in the area of food security, food systems analysis, as well as food-environment impacts and food–water linkages.
Past LUC research has produced some of IIASA’s most internationally recognized, demanded, and applied results and products. Major international organizations as well as research groups in IIASA member countries currently use and rely on these products for consistent global analyses and national policy guidance, providing opportunities for IIASA that strongly support its mission statement. In addition to supporting existing clients, updating and further methodological developments of these products is fully consistent with the IIASA Vision and 2011-2015 Research Plan objectives. Since these products are IIASA-owned products, they also provide differentiated niche specialty for IIASA.
LUC has created several models and tools including most notably bottom-up agricultural models (AEZ global, regional and national databases and models), economic agro-systems models (WFS, CHINAGRO), as well as comprehensive and rigorous resource tracking models (LANDFLOW), among others.
LUC research has been establishing comprehensive integrated databases of land and water use and associated geophysical, ecological and socioeconomic dynamics. Consistent spatial data are essential for achieving high quality robust results in modeling and international policy analysis. LUC’s focus on intelligent data and information systems is responding to an internationally recognized lack of solid and persistent commitment to establishing and maintaining comprehensive information and monitoring services in soil and land use management.
The research combines spatially detailed modeling of land use options in diverse social and environmental conditions and accounts for physical and financial flows across multiple scales to accomplish global coverage and systems closure. The integrated modeling framework is applied in analyses of land use competition, responsible land development investment strategies, impacts of and adaptation to climate change, and issues of sustainable consumption to guide decision making toward improved and integrated resource use strategies.
The Land Use Systems MetaData document can be downloaded here.