Learning about social-ecological trade-offs

Ecology and Society

Ioan Fazey¹  Katrina Brown²  Cecile Barnaud³  Lydiah Munyi⁴  Diego Galafassi⁵  Tim M. Daw⁵ 

[1] Centre for Environmental Change and Human Resilience, University of Dundee;Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter;INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research);Independent Natural Resource Governance Consultant, Basingstoke;Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University;

关键词: complexity thinking;    coproduction;    knowledge;    participatory modeling;    scenarios;    well-being;   

DOI  :  10.5751/ES-08920-220102

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Trade-offs are manifestations of the complex dynamics in interdependent social-ecological systems. Addressing trade-offs involves challenges of perception due to the dynamics of interdependence. We outline the challenges associated with addressing trade-offs and analyze knowledge coproduction as a practice that may contribute to tackling trade-offs in social-ecological systems. We discuss this through a case study in coastal Kenya in which an iterative knowledge coproduction process was facilitated to reveal social-ecological trade-offs in the face of ecological and socioeconomic change. Representatives of communities, government, and NGOs attended two integrative workshops in which methods derived from systems thinking, dialogue, participatory modeling, and scenarios were applied to encourage participants to engage and evaluate trade-offs. Based on process observation and interviews with participants and scientists, our analysis suggests that this process lead to increased appreciation of interdependences and the way in which trade-offs emerge from complex dynamics of interdependent factors. The process seemed to provoke a reflection of knowledge assumptions and narratives, and management goals for the social-ecological system. We also discuss how stakeholders link these insights to their practices.

【 授权许可】

Unknown