Navigating the chaos of an unfolding global cycle

Walker, B., S. R. Carpenter, C. Folke, L. Gunderson, G. D. Peterson, M. Scheffer, M. Schoon and F. R. Westley. 2020. Navigating the chaos of an unfolding global cycle. Ecology and Society 25(4):23.

There are many calls to use the COVID 19 crisis as an opportunity for transforming to a future trajectory that is more equitable and environmentally sustainable. What is lacking is a cohesive framework for bringing these calls together. We propose that such transitions could be informed by lessons from three decades of scholarship on abrupt and surprising change in systems of humans and nature. Over...

Machine intelligence, systemic risks, and sustainability

Galaz, V. et al. . 2021. Beijer Discussion Paper 274: Machine intelligence, systemic risks, and sustainability. Beijer Discussion Paper Series.

Automated decision making and predictive analytics in combination with rapid progress in sensor technology and robotics are likely to change the way individuals, communities, governments and private actors perceive and respond to climate and ecological change. Machine intelligent methods are already today being applied within a number of research fields related to climate change and environmental monitoring. Investments into applications of these technologies in agriculture,...

More than fish: Policy coherence and benefit sharing as necessary conditions for equitable aquaculture development

Brugere, C., M. Troell and H. Eriksson. 2021. More than fish: Policy coherence and benefit sharing as necessary conditions for equitable aquaculture development. Marine Policy 123:104271.

Aquaculture development is part of the Blue Economy narrative and it may offer opportunities for improving the well-being of coastal people and the wider population. However, unlocking its full potential is unlikely to occur through sole focus on increasing production. Using a framework for identifying the “people-policy gap” in aquaculture as a starting point, we introduce benefit sharing as a necessary and complementary concept to...

Supporting Bottom-Up Human Agency for Adapting to Climate Change

Colding, J., S. Barthel and K. Samuelsson. 2020. Supporting Bottom-Up Human Agency for Adapting to Climate Change. One Earth 3(4): 392-395.

The metric focus of sustainability thinking is at risk of downplaying the role of climate-change adaptation as a strategy complementary to climate-change mitigation. The upcoming 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) needs to explore how adaptation based on human agency could contribute to dealing with climate change.

Urbanization, Migration, and Adaptation to Climate Change

Adger, W. N., A.-S. Crépin, C. Folke, D. Ospina, F. S. Chapin III, K. Segerson, K. C. Seto, J. M. Anderies, S. Barrett, E. M. Bennett, G. Daily, T. Elmqvist, J. Fischer, N. Kautsky, S. A. Levin, J. F. Shogren, J. van den Bergh, B. Walker, and J. Wilen. 2020. Urbanization, Migration, and Adaptation to Climate Change. One Earth 3(4): 396-399.

Climate change is reshaping the comparative advantage of regions and hence driving migration flows, principally toward urban areas. Migration has multiple benefits and costs in both origin and destination regions. Coordinated policies that recognize how and why people move can reduce future costs and facilitate adaptation to climate change both within borders and internationally.

Reorientation of aquaculture production systems can reduce environmental impacts and improve nutrition security in Bangladesh

Shepon, A., J. A. Gephart, P. J. G. Henriksson, R. Jones, K. Murshed-e-Jahan, G. Eshel and C. D. Golden . 2020. Reorientation of aquaculture production systems can reduce environmental impacts and improve nutrition security in Bangladesh. Nature Food (1):640–647.

Aquatic foods are a critical source of human nutrition in many developing countries. As a result, declines in wild-caught fish landings threaten nutritionally vulnerable populations. Aquaculture presents an opportunity to meet local demand, but it also places pressure on natural resource inputs and causes a range of environmental impacts. Here, we examine whether current aquaculture systems in Bangladesh can be reoriented to address prevailing nutritional...

Corridors of Clarity: Four Principles to Overcome Uncertainty Paralysis in the Anthropocene

Polasky S., A.-S. Crépin, R. Biggs, S. R. Carpenter, C. Folke, G. Peterson, M. Scheffer, S. Barrett, G. Daily, P. Ehrlich, R. B. Howarth, T. Hughes, S. A. Levin, J. F. Shogren, M. Troell, B. Walker, and A. Xepapadeas. 2020. Corridors of Clarity: Four Principles to Overcome Uncertainty Paralysis in the Anthropocene. BioScience biaa115.

Global environmental change challenges humanity because of its broad scale, long-lasting, and potentially irreversible consequences. Key to an effective response is to use an appropriate scientific lens to peer through the mist of uncertainty that threatens timely and appropriate decisions surrounding these complex issues. Identifying such corridors of clarity could help understanding critical phenomena or causal pathways sufficiently well to justify taking policy action. To...

Complexity, resilience and economics

Crépin, A.-S. 2019. Complexity, resilience and economics. In: V. Galaz, editor. Global Challenges, Governance, and Complexity: Applications and Frontiers. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK. Pp. 166-188.

Sustainability transformations: socio-political shocks as opportunities for governance transitions

Herrfahrdt-Pähle, E., M. Schlüter, P. Olsson, C. Folke, S. Gelcich and C. Pahl-Wostl. 2020. Sustainability transformations: socio-political shocks as opportunities for governance transitions. Global Environmental Change 63:102097.

Faced with accelerating environmental challenges, research on social-ecological systems is increasingly focused on the need for transformative change towards sustainable stewardship of natural resources. This paper analyses the potential of rapid, large-scale socio-political change as a window of opportunity for transformative change of natural resources governance. We hypothesize that shocks at higher levels of social organization may open up opportunities for transformation of social-ecological systems...

Evidence for action: a One Health learning platform on interventions to tackle antimicrobial resistance

Wernli, D., Jørgensen, P.S., Parmley, E.J., Troell, M., et.al. 2020. Evidence for action: a One Health learning platform on interventions to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Lancet Infectious Diseases DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30392-3.

Improving evidence for action is crucial to tackle antimicrobial resistance. The number of interventions for antimicrobial resistance is increasing but current research has major limitations in terms of efforts, methods, scope, quality, and reporting. Moving the agenda forwards requires an improved understanding of the diversity of interventions, their feasibility and cost–benefit, the implementation factors that shape and underpin their effectiveness, and the ways in which...