Inequalities in the adaptive cycle: reorganizing after disasters in an unequal world

Ecology and Society: a journal of integrative science for resilience and sustainability

article

Marie C. Dade¹  Andrea S. Downing³  Karina Benessaiah⁵  Marianne Falardeau⁷  Mi Lin⁵  Jesse T. Rieb¹  Juan C. Rocha³ 

[1] Department of Geography, McGill University;School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne;Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University;Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences;Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University;Department of Geography, Environment & Geomatics, University of Guelph;Institute of Integrative Biology and Systems, Université Laval;Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université Laval;Department of Biology, Université Laval;CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Université Laval;Future Earth Montreal Hub;Future Earth, c/o Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences;South American Institute for Resilience and Sustainability Studies

关键词: inequality;    modeling;    natural hazards;    panarchy;    resilience;    social-ecological systems;    transformations;   

DOI  :  10.5751/ES-13456-270410

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Resilience Alliance Publications

【 摘 要 】

Natural hazards can trigger disasters that lead to the collapse and reorganization of social-ecological systems. This reorganization can involve systems transitioning to more positive trajectories. The Panarchy framework, which conceptualizes social-ecological systems as dynamic interrelated adaptive cycles, is a common conceptual framework for understanding system reorganization. However, it is unclear how inequalities, social mechanisms known to influence disaster recovery outcomes, shape a system's adaptive cycle post-disaster. Understanding the roles of inequalities can help develop social-ecological models to identify processes that build resilience into disaster recovery. We applied the Panarchy framework to inform propositions describing how inequalities can influence the reorganization of social-ecological systems after disasters triggered by natural hazards. We qualitatively analyzed a selection of case studies that discussed inequalities pre- and post-disasters and related these to adaptive-cycle system characteristics (i.e., potential, connectedness, and resilience). We identified three propositions: 1) The ability of groups to reorganize after a disaster varies across the inequality spectrum; 2) The reorganizing abilities of groups across the inequality spectrum impact one another; and 3) The presence of inequalities affect connectedness within the system. Incorporating these propositions into social-ecological system modeling can improve our understanding of how inequalities impact system reorganization. This information can support disaster recovery plans that strengthen a system's ability to enter a more positive trajectory post-disaster.

【 授权许可】

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