Sustainable Development Integrated in the Concept of Resilence

Jürg Bloesch


Alumnus ETH Zurich, Eawag Duebendorf (Switzerland)

Michael von Hauff


Univ. Kaiserslautern (Germany)

Klaus Mainzer


Technische Universitaet Muenchen (Germany)

S. Venkata Mohan


CSIR Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad (India)

Ortwin Renn


Universitaet Stuttgart (Germany)

Verena Risse


Munich School of Philosophy (Germany)

Yonghui Song


Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Water Environmental Sciences, Beijing (China)

Kazuhiko Takeuchi


United Nations University at Tokyo (Japan)

Peter A. Wilderer

peter@wilderer.de
Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Institute for Advanced Study, Lichtenbergstr. 2a, 85748 Garching (Germany)


Abstract

The purpose of sustainable development is to minimize the likelihood of dynamic natural and/or man-made systems to exceed tipping points, when exposed to disturbances. In effect, the systems are protected from losing identity and integrity. The authors of this paper suggest accepting resilience thinking as a basis of setting sustainability goals and reaching the respective targets. The resilience theory provides the method needed to maintain identity and integrity, and to manage system´s dynamics. Of concern are three interwoven systems: environment, society and economy, forming a complex super-system coined eco-social triad. Sustainable development of the triad applies to each of the three sub-systems despite conflicting interests of the various actors within each.

Resilience is expressed by the ability of natural or man-made systems to respond dynamically to changes of ambient conditions with the aim to retain their inherent function, structure and feedbacks. To manage such changes and associated disturbances a repetitive sequence of processes (also called adaptive cycle) needs to be executed. In ecosystems these cycles are self-regulated and characterized by recycling of materials and energy. In systems dominated by humans adaptive cycles are characterized by phases such as re-evaluation, re-orientation and re-commencement. The concept of adaptive cycles and adaptive management embedded in the resilience theory is considered a promising method to satisfy sustainability goals and reach respective targets.


Keywords:

sustainable development, resilence, adaptive cycle, economy, society, ecosystems

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Published
2015-01-05

Cited by

Bloesch, J., von Hauff, M., Mainzer, K., Mohan, S. . V., Renn, O., Risse, V., … Wilderer, P. A. (2015). Sustainable Development Integrated in the Concept of Resilence. Problemy Ekorozwoju, 10(1), 7–14. Retrieved from https://ph.pollub.pl/index.php/preko/article/view/4921

Authors

Jürg Bloesch 

Alumnus ETH Zurich, Eawag Duebendorf Switzerland

Authors

Michael von Hauff 

Univ. Kaiserslautern Germany

Authors

Klaus Mainzer 

Technische Universitaet Muenchen Germany

Authors

S. Venkata Mohan 

CSIR Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad India

Authors

Ortwin Renn 

Universitaet Stuttgart Germany

Authors

Verena Risse 

Munich School of Philosophy Germany

Authors

Yonghui Song 

Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Water Environmental Sciences, Beijing China

Authors

Kazuhiko Takeuchi 

United Nations University at Tokyo Japan

Authors

Peter A. Wilderer 
peter@wilderer.de
Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Institute for Advanced Study, Lichtenbergstr. 2a, 85748 Garching Germany

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