Recognising the complex and interdependent nature of sustainability challenges facing the world today, we focus our research efforts on achieving a better understanding of and developing integrated solutions to complex environmental problems by applying a “social-ecological systems” approach.
Central to this approach is the principle that society and the environment that sustains us cannot be treated in isolation from each other. We address the assessment, management and mainstreaming of sustainability according to the specific needs, values and context in which the system is framed.
A social-ecological system can be framed according to the needs of different players and contexts of a system or landscape, from a business, government department or community operating in a particular geographical area or base in the landscape, such as a watershed. All of these have a range of biophysical, human and institutional elements – including socio-economic and political elements - that work together to drive changes and decision-making within that system.
By understanding the broader context in which the challenges lie, we are able to identify more sustainable solutions that, in turn, will lead to improved resilience in the system and its component parts.
Our vision is to lead southern African research at the human-nature interface, enabling decision-making and integrated solutions, based on an understanding of complex systems and sustainability values.
Current research projects
Business risk resilience: The development of decision-support vehicles and environmental management principles to enable businesses to better understand, quantitatively assess and strategically respond to social-ecological risks and opportunities underpinning business operations and systems resilience
Agrarian social-ecological systems: Utilising heterogeneous rural social-ecological systems as the basis for enhanced understanding, planning and decision-making for sustainability in multi-functional agrarian landscapes.
Mainstreaming sustainability science: Incorporating the principles of sustainability science (such as transdisciplinarity and complexity theory) into research institutions, various research initiatives and our understanding and management of social-ecological systems.
Applied Integrative Sustainability Thinking: Enhancing environmental management and assessment praxis and decision-making through capacity development and inclusive approaches to sustainability thinking
Contact details
Kristy Faccer
Research group leader: sustainable social-ecological systems
Tel. +27 12 841 3654
kfaccer@csir.co.za
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