About IMAGE
IMAGE is an Integrated Model to Assess the Global Environment.
The modelling framework has been developed by the IMAGE team under the authority of PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. IMAGE is documented on this wiki and in the IMAGE 3.0 book. In 2014, IMAGE has been reviewed by an international advisory board (International review of IMAGE3.0). The development strategy for the period 2022-2027 is elaborated in the IMAGE strategy document.
What is IMAGE?
IMAGE is an ecological-environmental model framework that simulates the environmental consequences of human activities worldwide. It represents interactions between society, the biosphere and the climate system to assess sustainability issues such as climate change, biodiversity and human well-being. The objective of the IMAGE model is to explore the long-term dynamics and impacts of global changes that result from interacting socio-economic and environmental factors.
IMAGE and the Integrated Assessment Model Consortium (IAMC)
IMAGE is part of the global IAMC, an organization of scientific research organizations that pursues scientific understanding of issues associated with integrated assessment modeling and analysis. Several Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) including IMAGE are documented on the IAMC models website. The IMAGE model framework can be compared to other IAMs through the standardised comparison table with the key model characteristics: Model Comparison.
The IMAGE 3.0 book and wiki
Documentation on the IMAGE model can be found in the IMAGE 3.0 book or on the IMAGE wiki. Although much the same, the wiki site is more up to date, contains more information, and is easier to navigate.
PBL cooperations
The IMAGE model has been developed by PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and its predecessors (MNP and RIVM). The IMAGE-PBL team still coordinates the IMAGE work. However, an important part of the strategy of the IMAGE team is to cooperate with research teams and researchers at other institutes. In particular, there are strong collaborations with Utrecht University and Wageningen University and Research. These researchers can form part of the IMAGE team and can use and further develop IMAGE.