Groundwater is a critical component of the hydrological cycle, the environment, and the coupled human and natural system with expressions both above and below the Earth’s surface. Understanding the role of groundwater in these often very complex and interlinked systems at various scales is at the core of sustainable management of natural resources and the many trade-offs this implies. Groundwater has intrinsic value, since it provides multiple ecosystem and supporting services (e.g., for biodiversity and human health), as well as substantial economic value for the many provisioning services it renders for entities such as industries and farmers.
The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), as an independent, international research institute with National Member Organizations in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe, specializes in developing effective and science-based policy advice related to climate change, energy security, population aging, and sustainable development. Groundwater is becoming of increasing relevance to IIASA’s portfolio from a broad interdisciplinary nexus (water-energy land-food-climate-health-equity) perspective. Founded in 1972, IIASA was conceived as a groundbreaking institution using scientific cooperation to build bridges across the Cold War divide and to confront growing global problems on an international scale.
The Groundwater Solutions Initiative for Policy and Practice (GRIPP) is delighted to welcome IIASA as a partner from early 2021. Their joining GRIPP is a testimony to the increasing realization that groundwater solutions are to be found through broader systems approaches and analysis, and through close collaboration between partners with a wide set of complementary backgrounds and skill sets. We very much look forward to exploring the opportunities that this new partnership offers.
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