Publications
Environmentally Blind Discourses on Coal Extraction and the Idealization of the Miner in Spain Journal Article
Herrero, Amaranta; Lemkow, Louis
In: Capitalism Nature Socialism, 26 (4), pp. 215–235, 2015, ISSN: 1045-5752.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags:
@article{Herrero2015,
title = {Environmentally Blind Discourses on Coal Extraction and the Idealization of the Miner in Spain},
author = {Amaranta Herrero and Louis Lemkow},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10455752.2015.1054849 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10455752.2015.1054849},
doi = {10.1080/10455752.2015.1054849},
issn = {1045-5752},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-10-01},
journal = {Capitalism Nature Socialism},
volume = {26},
number = {4},
pages = {215--235},
publisher = {Routledge},
abstract = {During the summer of 2012, intense protests by the Spanish coal mining sector took place in different parts of the country, driven by a 63% cut in government subsidies received by the sector that y...},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
During the summer of 2012, intense protests by the Spanish coal mining sector took place in different parts of the country, driven by a 63% cut in government subsidies received by the sector that y...
Beyond water security: asecuritisation and identity in Cyprus Journal Article
Zikos, Dimitrios; Sorman, Alevgul H.; Lau, Marisa
In: International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 15 (3), pp. 309–326, 2015, ISSN: 1567-9764.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Environmental Economics, Environmental Law/Policy/Ecojustice, Environmental Management, Nature Conservation, Political Science
@article{Zikos2015,
title = {Beyond water security: asecuritisation and identity in Cyprus},
author = {Dimitrios Zikos and Alevgul H. Sorman and Marisa Lau},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10784-015-9280-y http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10784-015-9280-y},
doi = {10.1007/s10784-015-9280-y},
issn = {1567-9764},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-09-01},
journal = {International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics},
volume = {15},
number = {3},
pages = {309--326},
publisher = {Springer},
abstract = {Forty years after the division of Cyprus, the unstable political agenda still prevents a meaningful bi-communal discourse on the joint management of natural resources, especially water, a vital resource for all islanders. Until now, both communities have deployed unilateral, tactical methods to securitise the water discourse by linking it to high politics; yet, the situation remains deadlocked. Processes by which the water discourse in Cyprus acquired multiple meanings of securitisation over time and across different groups remains understudied, as does the concept of asecurity. We suggest moving water management in Cyprus into an asecuritisation realm, where decision-making processes are founded on a shared social identity with water acting as a unifying agent. Based on empirical findings from multiple methods employed dealing with social dilemmas involving scarce natural resources, we conclude that an alternative way of organizing political space with no a priori reference to the securitisation logic would create new opportunities for transforming the discourse beyond the political lock-in and incorporating bi-communal dynamics into natural resource management, laying the groundwork for future cooperation on other emblematic issues.},
keywords = {Environmental Economics, Environmental Law/Policy/Ecojustice, Environmental Management, Nature Conservation, Political Science},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Forty years after the division of Cyprus, the unstable political agenda still prevents a meaningful bi-communal discourse on the joint management of natural resources, especially water, a vital resource for all islanders. Until now, both communities have deployed unilateral, tactical methods to securitise the water discourse by linking it to high politics; yet, the situation remains deadlocked. Processes by which the water discourse in Cyprus acquired multiple meanings of securitisation over time and across different groups remains understudied, as does the concept of asecurity. We suggest moving water management in Cyprus into an asecuritisation realm, where decision-making processes are founded on a shared social identity with water acting as a unifying agent. Based on empirical findings from multiple methods employed dealing with social dilemmas involving scarce natural resources, we conclude that an alternative way of organizing political space with no a priori reference to the securitisation logic would create new opportunities for transforming the discourse beyond the political lock-in and incorporating bi-communal dynamics into natural resource management, laying the groundwork for future cooperation on other emblematic issues.
Constructing food sovereignty in Catalonia: different narratives for transformative action Journal Article
Masso, Marina Di; Zografos, Christos
In: Agriculture and Human Values, 32 (2), pp. 183–198, 2015, ISSN: 0889-048X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Agricultural Economics, Ethics, Evolutionary Biology, general, History, Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science
@article{DiMasso2015,
title = {Constructing food sovereignty in Catalonia: different narratives for transformative action},
author = {Marina Di Masso and Christos Zografos},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10460-014-9528-0 http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10460-014-9528-0},
doi = {10.1007/s10460-014-9528-0},
issn = {0889-048X},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-06-01},
journal = {Agriculture and Human Values},
volume = {32},
number = {2},
pages = {183--198},
publisher = {Springer},
abstract = {Food sovereignty can be conceptualized as a political proposal for social change in the field of agri-food relations. However, specific strategies of how to achieve this transformative potential are diverse, and context-dependent. The paper explores this diversity by examining discourses on the food sovereignty construction process in Catalonia. Using Q methodology we have explored visions held by individuals participating in the social movement for food sovereignty, identifying five discourses: activism, anti-purism, self-management, pedagogy, and pragmatism. Key strategies of transformation include social mobilization, institutional negotiation, self-management, education to foster value change, and politics of the possible. The relevance assigned to ideological affinity explains different views on the subject of transformation, particularly regarding the involvement of the administration and the productive sector. As regards transformative strategies, discourses assign differing importance to the role of agency for effecting social transformation, which influences their assessment of individual actions as an effective means for social change. Forms of individualized and classic collective action currently coexist within the Catalan agri-food movement, but such diversity is not acknowledged as an effective alliance towards food sovereignty. Moreover, all discourses agree to a dual definition of food sovereignty, both as a process, that is, as democratization of the decision-making process in the agri-food sector, and as a result, that is, establishing an agri-food model alternative to the neo-liberal one. However, the discourses share an unclear view of democracy as decentralized collective decision-making that does not make explicit how this model should be implemented to achieve social control of the agri-food system.},
keywords = {Agricultural Economics, Ethics, Evolutionary Biology, general, History, Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Food sovereignty can be conceptualized as a political proposal for social change in the field of agri-food relations. However, specific strategies of how to achieve this transformative potential are diverse, and context-dependent. The paper explores this diversity by examining discourses on the food sovereignty construction process in Catalonia. Using Q methodology we have explored visions held by individuals participating in the social movement for food sovereignty, identifying five discourses: activism, anti-purism, self-management, pedagogy, and pragmatism. Key strategies of transformation include social mobilization, institutional negotiation, self-management, education to foster value change, and politics of the possible. The relevance assigned to ideological affinity explains different views on the subject of transformation, particularly regarding the involvement of the administration and the productive sector. As regards transformative strategies, discourses assign differing importance to the role of agency for effecting social transformation, which influences their assessment of individual actions as an effective means for social change. Forms of individualized and classic collective action currently coexist within the Catalan agri-food movement, but such diversity is not acknowledged as an effective alliance towards food sovereignty. Moreover, all discourses agree to a dual definition of food sovereignty, both as a process, that is, as democratization of the decision-making process in the agri-food sector, and as a result, that is, establishing an agri-food model alternative to the neo-liberal one. However, the discourses share an unclear view of democracy as decentralized collective decision-making that does not make explicit how this model should be implemented to achieve social control of the agri-food system.
Analogy between Sudoku and the multi-scale integrated analysis of societal metabolism Journal Article
Giampietro, Mario; Bukkens, Sandra G. F.
In: Ecological Informatics, 26 (P1), pp. 18–28, 2015, ISSN: 15749541.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Integrated assessment, Multi-scale analysis, MuSIASEM, Mutual information, Societal metabolism, Sudoku
@article{Giampietro2015a,
title = {Analogy between Sudoku and the multi-scale integrated analysis of societal metabolism},
author = {Mario Giampietro and Sandra G. F. Bukkens},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1574954114001034},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecoinf.2014.07.007},
issn = {15749541},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-03-01},
journal = {Ecological Informatics},
volume = {26},
number = {P1},
pages = {18--28},
abstract = {This paper illustrates the analogy between Sudoku and the multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM). MuSIASEM is a transdisciplinary approach aimed at checking the viability, desirability and feasibility of actual and projected metabolic patterns of society. Building on Georgescu-Roegen's flow-fund model, it defines what the system is in terms of fund elements (human activity, managed land, power capacity), and what it does in terms of flow elements (energy, food, water, monetary flows). The accounting method of MuSIASEM generates a multi-scale, multi-dimensional representation of flow and fund elements that shares essential features with Sudoku, including mutual information and impredicativity between bottom-up and top-down causality. Data organization employed in MuSIASEM reveals the internal and external constraints that operate on the societal metabolic pattern and that determine its viability and feasibility domain. The dynamic equilibrium between the hypercyclic and dissipative macro-compartments of society expresses itself as a regional constraint on the viability of the metabolic pattern. The MuSIASEM approach is illustrated with case studies including the energy metabolism of Spain and the metabolic pattern of Mauritius.},
keywords = {Integrated assessment, Multi-scale analysis, MuSIASEM, Mutual information, Societal metabolism, Sudoku},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This paper illustrates the analogy between Sudoku and the multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM). MuSIASEM is a transdisciplinary approach aimed at checking the viability, desirability and feasibility of actual and projected metabolic patterns of society. Building on Georgescu-Roegen's flow-fund model, it defines what the system is in terms of fund elements (human activity, managed land, power capacity), and what it does in terms of flow elements (energy, food, water, monetary flows). The accounting method of MuSIASEM generates a multi-scale, multi-dimensional representation of flow and fund elements that shares essential features with Sudoku, including mutual information and impredicativity between bottom-up and top-down causality. Data organization employed in MuSIASEM reveals the internal and external constraints that operate on the societal metabolic pattern and that determine its viability and feasibility domain. The dynamic equilibrium between the hypercyclic and dissipative macro-compartments of society expresses itself as a regional constraint on the viability of the metabolic pattern. The MuSIASEM approach is illustrated with case studies including the energy metabolism of Spain and the metabolic pattern of Mauritius.
Beyond “beyond GDP indicators:” The need for reflexivity in science for governance Journal Article
Kovacic, Zora; Giampietro, Mario
In: Ecological Complexity, 21 , pp. 53–61, 2015, ISSN: 1476945X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Complexity, Integrated assessment, Post-normal science, Quality assurance, sustainability, Uncertainty
@article{Kovacic2015b,
title = {Beyond “beyond GDP indicators:” The need for reflexivity in science for governance},
author = {Zora Kovacic and Mario Giampietro},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1476945X14001494},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecocom.2014.11.007},
issn = {1476945X},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-03-01},
journal = {Ecological Complexity},
volume = {21},
pages = {53--61},
abstract = {"Beyond GDP" initiatives flag the limits of the quantitative indicators of progress currently used for governance. Focusing on the quality assessment of quantitative information used for governance, we use some of the conceptual tools of theoretical ecology and evolutionary biology in order to identify the pre-analytical choices that determine the usefulness and pertinence of a model. Starting from the definition of a model as a formal representation of a specific and necessarily subjective observation, we show that the production of indicators is the final result of a series of decisions on what to observe and how. These choices, in turn, depend on the narrative, or set of narratives, adopted. Narratives provide causality and context to knowledge claims and are needed to select the indicators to be used for policy. Moving beyond the GDP debate requires reflexivity, that is, awareness of the key role that pre-analytical choices play in the definition of both the relevance of the chosen perceptions and narratives (determined by the normative stands of different actors - who defines wellbeing?), and the usefulness of the chosen models and data (determined by the pertinence of the resulting representation - how to measure wellbeing?). Reflexivity is essential in order to take into account the purposes for which different indicators were created and to define new purposes for the "beyond GDP" indicators.},
keywords = {Complexity, Integrated assessment, Post-normal science, Quality assurance, sustainability, Uncertainty},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
"Beyond GDP" initiatives flag the limits of the quantitative indicators of progress currently used for governance. Focusing on the quality assessment of quantitative information used for governance, we use some of the conceptual tools of theoretical ecology and evolutionary biology in order to identify the pre-analytical choices that determine the usefulness and pertinence of a model. Starting from the definition of a model as a formal representation of a specific and necessarily subjective observation, we show that the production of indicators is the final result of a series of decisions on what to observe and how. These choices, in turn, depend on the narrative, or set of narratives, adopted. Narratives provide causality and context to knowledge claims and are needed to select the indicators to be used for policy. Moving beyond the GDP debate requires reflexivity, that is, awareness of the key role that pre-analytical choices play in the definition of both the relevance of the chosen perceptions and narratives (determined by the normative stands of different actors - who defines wellbeing?), and the usefulness of the chosen models and data (determined by the pertinence of the resulting representation - how to measure wellbeing?). Reflexivity is essential in order to take into account the purposes for which different indicators were created and to define new purposes for the "beyond GDP" indicators.
The unresolved controversy over nuclear power: A new approach from complexity theory Journal Article
Diaz-Maurin, François; Kovacic, Zora
In: Global Environmental Change, 31 , pp. 207–216, 2015, ISSN: 09593780.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Epistemology, Hierarchy Theory, Historical analysis, Nuclear energy, Science for governance, Technology choice
@article{Diaz-Maurin2015,
title = {The unresolved controversy over nuclear power: A new approach from complexity theory},
author = {Fran\c{c}ois Diaz-Maurin and Zora Kovacic},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0959378015000163},
doi = {10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.01.014},
issn = {09593780},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-03-01},
journal = {Global Environmental Change},
volume = {31},
pages = {207--216},
publisher = {Pergamon},
abstract = {We explore the controversy over nuclear power by looking at the plurality of narratives that have emerged throughout its history. We find a lack of consistency between the visions of nuclear power put forward by governments and industry and the experience associated with economic viability, nuclear accidents, waste handling, and so on. We use the conceptual tool of holon from complexity theory to provide a link between the models used for the governance of nuclear power and the realization of those models. The analysis of the holon over time reveals a systemic inconsistency between the way in which the story about nuclear energy is told and the experience gained after implementing nuclear energy according to the story. This inconsistency is due to the incompatible levels of observation used by different social actors endorsing different perspectives. The implementation of nuclear power has been based on the engineering view, focusing on the functioning of the nuclear power plant considered in abstraction from the wider implications of the adoption of this technology on the environment, on the economy, and on society. We cross-check this narrative with the societal metabolism view in order to provide a long term perspective of the interdependencies between nuclear power and the complex socio-economic system in which it is embedded. We conclude that the controversy over nuclear power may be treated as a problem of contrasting beliefs and normative values in clear disjunction from experience. The analysis presented in this paper suggests that more attention should be given to the quality of the narratives used in policy making.},
keywords = {Epistemology, Hierarchy Theory, Historical analysis, Nuclear energy, Science for governance, Technology choice},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
We explore the controversy over nuclear power by looking at the plurality of narratives that have emerged throughout its history. We find a lack of consistency between the visions of nuclear power put forward by governments and industry and the experience associated with economic viability, nuclear accidents, waste handling, and so on. We use the conceptual tool of holon from complexity theory to provide a link between the models used for the governance of nuclear power and the realization of those models. The analysis of the holon over time reveals a systemic inconsistency between the way in which the story about nuclear energy is told and the experience gained after implementing nuclear energy according to the story. This inconsistency is due to the incompatible levels of observation used by different social actors endorsing different perspectives. The implementation of nuclear power has been based on the engineering view, focusing on the functioning of the nuclear power plant considered in abstraction from the wider implications of the adoption of this technology on the environment, on the economy, and on society. We cross-check this narrative with the societal metabolism view in order to provide a long term perspective of the interdependencies between nuclear power and the complex socio-economic system in which it is embedded. We conclude that the controversy over nuclear power may be treated as a problem of contrasting beliefs and normative values in clear disjunction from experience. The analysis presented in this paper suggests that more attention should be given to the quality of the narratives used in policy making.
Complexity theory in quality assessment. Case studies in sustainability science for governance PhD Thesis
Kovacic, Zora
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2015, ISBN: 9788449052743.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags:
@phdthesis{Kovacic2015,
title = {Complexity theory in quality assessment. Case studies in sustainability science for governance},
author = {Zora Kovacic},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10803/289635},
isbn = {9788449052743},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-01-01},
pages = {201},
school = {Universitat Aut\`{o}noma de Barcelona},
abstract = {This dissertation is an investigation of science-policy issues in the field of sustainability science that are characterised by high levels of uncertainty and complexity. I focus on situations in which the view of scientific knowledge as the best available knowledge is questioned and a plurality of non-equivalent knowledge claims exists within science. The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to a better understanding of the challenges of complexity and uncertainty for the science-policy interface. I argue that in the case of sustainability issues that are not well governed, the challenge is not just a matter of sloppy science or of corruption in either the scientific or political processes, but there is a need for (i) a better understanding of the implications of complexity and uncertainty for science for governance, and (ii) for a quality assessment of the representations of sustainability issues used to inform policy. In order to address this challenge, I apply the conceptual and analytical tools of complexity theory to quality assessment. I focus on the criteria of pertinence and usefulness as a way of carrying out both an epistemic and a pragmatic quality assessment. More specifically, I provide a multi-scale representation of the issues considered and allocate the plurality of representations used for the governance of those issues to different scales of analysis. The approach developed does not offer any answers as to what is to be considered pertinent of useful, but it provides a representation of complexity that makes it possible to adopt a reflexive stance with respect to the pre-analytical choices and normative stands implied by different representations. I apply these tools to three case studies in order to analyse how pertinence and usefulness unfold in practice. In the first case study, I analyse the pertinence and the usefulness of the mono-scale representations of the neo-classical economics knowledge base in the context of the financial crisis of 2007-08. In the second case study, I analyse the pertinence and usefulness of the plurality of representations and knowledge claims used in the governance of water in Israel. In the third case study, I analyse the pertinence and usefulness of the future visions of smart grids in the context of the European Union in relation to the complex energy systems of modern economies.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
This dissertation is an investigation of science-policy issues in the field of sustainability science that are characterised by high levels of uncertainty and complexity. I focus on situations in which the view of scientific knowledge as the best available knowledge is questioned and a plurality of non-equivalent knowledge claims exists within science. The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to a better understanding of the challenges of complexity and uncertainty for the science-policy interface. I argue that in the case of sustainability issues that are not well governed, the challenge is not just a matter of sloppy science or of corruption in either the scientific or political processes, but there is a need for (i) a better understanding of the implications of complexity and uncertainty for science for governance, and (ii) for a quality assessment of the representations of sustainability issues used to inform policy. In order to address this challenge, I apply the conceptual and analytical tools of complexity theory to quality assessment. I focus on the criteria of pertinence and usefulness as a way of carrying out both an epistemic and a pragmatic quality assessment. More specifically, I provide a multi-scale representation of the issues considered and allocate the plurality of representations used for the governance of those issues to different scales of analysis. The approach developed does not offer any answers as to what is to be considered pertinent of useful, but it provides a representation of complexity that makes it possible to adopt a reflexive stance with respect to the pre-analytical choices and normative stands implied by different representations. I apply these tools to three case studies in order to analyse how pertinence and usefulness unfold in practice. In the first case study, I analyse the pertinence and the usefulness of the mono-scale representations of the neo-classical economics knowledge base in the context of the financial crisis of 2007-08. In the second case study, I analyse the pertinence and usefulness of the plurality of representations and knowledge claims used in the governance of water in Israel. In the third case study, I analyse the pertinence and usefulness of the future visions of smart grids in the context of the European Union in relation to the complex energy systems of modern economies.
Cadillo-Benalcazar, Juan José
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2015, ISBN: 9788449057977.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Food, MuSIASEM, sustainability
@phdthesis{Cadillo-Benalcazar2015,
title = {El uso de la gram\'{a}tica del musiasem para el an\'{a}lisis cuantitativo de la sostenibilidad de los sistemas alimentarios},
author = {Juan Jos\'{e} Cadillo-Benalcazar},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10803/322819},
isbn = {9788449057977},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-01-01},
pages = {293},
school = {Universitat Aut\`{o}noma de Barcelona},
abstract = {In modern times, science is facing the challenge of how to represent the interaction between socio-economic systems and ecological systems, which together can be regarded as socio-ecological systems, in order to quantitatively analyze their sustainability. To face this challenge it is necessary to break the traditional reductionist approaches of science, to build an alternative paradigm that is aware of the unavoidable limitations in quantitative representations of these systems. These limitations arise from the lack of understanding that socio-ecological systems are complex systems organized across different levels of organization. From this perspective, socio-economic system and ecological systems can only be observed across different scales and dimensions. Indeed, the dynamics of these interactions cause any activity that happens in one to affect the other and vice versa, thus providing an analytical framework for sustainability. From an acknowledgment of these limitations, the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) introduces the concept of grammar as a means to overcome the epistemological challenge of representing complex systems. A grammar is defined as a set of relations established between semantic categories, previously defined, and formal categories in order to obtain a representation able to be operationalized in quantitative terms across different scales and dimensions. Thus, grammar is proposed as an analytical tool capable of assessing the sustainability of the socio-ecological system without falling in the risk of an excessive simplification of quantitative reductionism. A key aspect of the sustainability of any society is the proper fulfillment of basic needs such as food. In this regard, although the planet produces enough food for all, there are about 805 million people suffering from hunger and a third of production is lost or wasted. It is also expected that in the future these conditions will worsen as a result of reliance on technological inputs used in food production, changes in the diet of the population (with more animal products), biophysical resource depletion and climate change. Faced with this tragic reality, institutions and decision-making authorities have stressed the urgent need to devise strategies aimed at food security. There is a need to have an overview, which includes what society consumes; the inner vision of the metabolism, and where food comes from, how it is produced and what is consumed; the external view of the metabolism. Only then, can you have a holistic knowledge to discuss and improve strategies aimed at food security. In this thesis I tested the utility of the grammar renderer MuSIASEM as socio-ecological instrument, able to identify vulnerabilities in the food systems of societies and its potential as a source of information -based on the coherent integration of demographic, economic and biophysical variables- for decision-making. Three case studies - Mauritius, the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador as a whole \textendash were used for such a test.},
keywords = {Food, MuSIASEM, sustainability},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
In modern times, science is facing the challenge of how to represent the interaction between socio-economic systems and ecological systems, which together can be regarded as socio-ecological systems, in order to quantitatively analyze their sustainability. To face this challenge it is necessary to break the traditional reductionist approaches of science, to build an alternative paradigm that is aware of the unavoidable limitations in quantitative representations of these systems. These limitations arise from the lack of understanding that socio-ecological systems are complex systems organized across different levels of organization. From this perspective, socio-economic system and ecological systems can only be observed across different scales and dimensions. Indeed, the dynamics of these interactions cause any activity that happens in one to affect the other and vice versa, thus providing an analytical framework for sustainability. From an acknowledgment of these limitations, the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) introduces the concept of grammar as a means to overcome the epistemological challenge of representing complex systems. A grammar is defined as a set of relations established between semantic categories, previously defined, and formal categories in order to obtain a representation able to be operationalized in quantitative terms across different scales and dimensions. Thus, grammar is proposed as an analytical tool capable of assessing the sustainability of the socio-ecological system without falling in the risk of an excessive simplification of quantitative reductionism. A key aspect of the sustainability of any society is the proper fulfillment of basic needs such as food. In this regard, although the planet produces enough food for all, there are about 805 million people suffering from hunger and a third of production is lost or wasted. It is also expected that in the future these conditions will worsen as a result of reliance on technological inputs used in food production, changes in the diet of the population (with more animal products), biophysical resource depletion and climate change. Faced with this tragic reality, institutions and decision-making authorities have stressed the urgent need to devise strategies aimed at food security. There is a need to have an overview, which includes what society consumes; the inner vision of the metabolism, and where food comes from, how it is produced and what is consumed; the external view of the metabolism. Only then, can you have a holistic knowledge to discuss and improve strategies aimed at food security. In this thesis I tested the utility of the grammar renderer MuSIASEM as socio-ecological instrument, able to identify vulnerabilities in the food systems of societies and its potential as a source of information -based on the coherent integration of demographic, economic and biophysical variables- for decision-making. Three case studies - Mauritius, the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador as a whole – were used for such a test.
Quality assurance of knowledge claims in governance for sustainability: transcending the duality of passion vs. reason Journal Article
Giampietro, Mario; Bukkens, Sandra G. F.
In: International Journal of Sustainable Development, 18 (4), pp. 282, 2015, ISSN: 0960-1406.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Complexity, Integrated assessment, Knowledge claims, Multi-criteria analysis, Quality control, Science for governance, Sustainable Development
@article{Giampietro2015,
title = {Quality assurance of knowledge claims in governance for sustainability: transcending the duality of passion vs. reason},
author = {Mario Giampietro and Sandra G. F. Bukkens},
url = {http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=72662},
doi = {10.1504/IJSD.2015.072662},
issn = {0960-1406},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-01-01},
journal = {International Journal of Sustainable Development},
volume = {18},
number = {4},
pages = {282},
abstract = {The main problem of quality assurance on knowledge claims lies in the entanglement of normative (value-driven moral stands) and descriptive (narratives about causality) dimensions at different organisational levels of decision-making. Individuals must choose among contrasting legitimate narratives about "the right thing to do" while facing uncertainty about the outcome of their choice. The scientific community faces exactly the same predicament, but without being able to legitimately choose among contrasting value-driven moral stands. At the societal level, existing institutional settings are incapable of guaranteeing the quality of collective choices. Three types of quality control are needed for the proper production and use of knowledge claims for governance: on the usefulness of the chosen problem structuring (relevance); on the pertinence of the scientific representation (plausibility); on the effectiveness of the validation process (fairness). These quality checks are required to legitimise the decision-making process, thus transcending the traditional duality between passion and reason.},
keywords = {Complexity, Integrated assessment, Knowledge claims, Multi-criteria analysis, Quality control, Science for governance, Sustainable Development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The main problem of quality assurance on knowledge claims lies in the entanglement of normative (value-driven moral stands) and descriptive (narratives about causality) dimensions at different organisational levels of decision-making. Individuals must choose among contrasting legitimate narratives about "the right thing to do" while facing uncertainty about the outcome of their choice. The scientific community faces exactly the same predicament, but without being able to legitimately choose among contrasting value-driven moral stands. At the societal level, existing institutional settings are incapable of guaranteeing the quality of collective choices. Three types of quality control are needed for the proper production and use of knowledge claims for governance: on the usefulness of the chosen problem structuring (relevance); on the pertinence of the scientific representation (plausibility); on the effectiveness of the validation process (fairness). These quality checks are required to legitimise the decision-making process, thus transcending the traditional duality between passion and reason.
The energy metabolism of China and India between 1971 and 2010: Studying the bifurcation Journal Article
Velasco-Fernández, Raúl; Ramos-Martín, Jesus; Giampietro, Mario
In: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 41 (1), pp. 1052–1066, 2015, ISSN: 13640321.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: China, Energy, India, Multi-scale integrated analysis, Societal metabolism, sustainability
@article{Velasco-Fernandez2015,
title = {The energy metabolism of China and India between 1971 and 2010: Studying the bifurcation},
author = {Ra\'{u}l Velasco-Fern\'{a}ndez and Jesus Ramos-Mart\'{i}n and Mario Giampietro},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1364032114007515},
doi = {10.1016/j.rser.2014.08.065},
issn = {13640321},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-01-01},
journal = {Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews},
volume = {41},
number = {1},
pages = {1052--1066},
abstract = {This paper presents a comparison of the changes in the energetic metabolic pattern of China and India, the two most populated countries in the world, with two economies undergoing an important economic transition. The comparison of the changes in the energetic metabolic pattern has the scope to characterize and explain a bifurcation in their evolutionary path in the recent years, using the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) approach. The analysis shows an impressive transformation of China's energy metabolism determined by the joining of the WTO in 2001. Since then, China became the largest factory of the world with a generalized capitalization of all sectors, especially the industrial sector, boosting economic labor productivity as well as total energy consumption. India, on the contrary, lags behind when considering these factors. Looking at changes in the household sector (energy metabolism associated with final consumption) in the case of China, the energetic metabolic rate (EMR) soared in the last decade, also thanks to a reduced growth of population, whereas in India it remained stagnant for the last 40 years. This analysis indicates a big challenge for India for the next decade. In the light of the data analyzed both countries will continue to require strong injections of technical capital requiring a continuous increase in their total energy consumption. When considering the size of these economies it is easy to guess that this may induce a dramatic increase in the price of energy, an event that at the moment will penalize much more the chance of a quick economic development of India.},
keywords = {China, Energy, India, Multi-scale integrated analysis, Societal metabolism, sustainability},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This paper presents a comparison of the changes in the energetic metabolic pattern of China and India, the two most populated countries in the world, with two economies undergoing an important economic transition. The comparison of the changes in the energetic metabolic pattern has the scope to characterize and explain a bifurcation in their evolutionary path in the recent years, using the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) approach. The analysis shows an impressive transformation of China's energy metabolism determined by the joining of the WTO in 2001. Since then, China became the largest factory of the world with a generalized capitalization of all sectors, especially the industrial sector, boosting economic labor productivity as well as total energy consumption. India, on the contrary, lags behind when considering these factors. Looking at changes in the household sector (energy metabolism associated with final consumption) in the case of China, the energetic metabolic rate (EMR) soared in the last decade, also thanks to a reduced growth of population, whereas in India it remained stagnant for the last 40 years. This analysis indicates a big challenge for India for the next decade. In the light of the data analyzed both countries will continue to require strong injections of technical capital requiring a continuous increase in their total energy consumption. When considering the size of these economies it is easy to guess that this may induce a dramatic increase in the price of energy, an event that at the moment will penalize much more the chance of a quick economic development of India.
Proposing a general energy accounting scheme with indicators for responsible development: Beyond monism Journal Article
Mayumi, Kozo; Giampietro, Mario
In: Ecological Indicators, 47 , pp. 50–66, 2014, ISSN: 1470160X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Energy accounting, Indicators, Monism, Responsible development
@article{Mayumi2014,
title = {Proposing a general energy accounting scheme with indicators for responsible development: Beyond monism},
author = {Kozo Mayumi and Mario Giampietro},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1470160X14002866},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.06.033},
issn = {1470160X},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-12-01},
journal = {Ecological Indicators},
volume = {47},
pages = {50--66},
abstract = {Our approach, Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM for short) has been developed to get out of the traditional monistic methodology. In this paper we propose a general energy accounting scheme and its indicators based on MuSIASEM framework characterizing the performance of the energy and mining sector. This represents an elaboration of the supply side of energy accounting within our scheme, a subject that has not been fully investigated so far. Section 2 briefly illustrates the fundamental limitations of purely thermodynamic approach to energy accounting. Section 3 presents a general energy accounting scheme and its derived set of indicators. This section first presents the basic assumptions and the energy transformation process using the flow-fund representation originally developed by Georgescu-Roegen. Section 4 concludes the paper providing ten mottoes about energy accounting that are justified by the experience made with the MuSIASEM scheme.},
keywords = {Energy accounting, Indicators, Monism, Responsible development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Our approach, Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM for short) has been developed to get out of the traditional monistic methodology. In this paper we propose a general energy accounting scheme and its indicators based on MuSIASEM framework characterizing the performance of the energy and mining sector. This represents an elaboration of the supply side of energy accounting within our scheme, a subject that has not been fully investigated so far. Section 2 briefly illustrates the fundamental limitations of purely thermodynamic approach to energy accounting. Section 3 presents a general energy accounting scheme and its derived set of indicators. This section first presents the basic assumptions and the energy transformation process using the flow-fund representation originally developed by Georgescu-Roegen. Section 4 concludes the paper providing ten mottoes about energy accounting that are justified by the experience made with the MuSIASEM scheme.
Holons, creaons, genons, environs, in hierarchy theory: Where we have gone Journal Article
Allen, Timothy; Giampietro, Mario
In: Ecological Modelling, 293 , pp. 31–41, 2014, ISSN: 03043800.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Complexity, Hierarchy Theory, Holon, Narrative, Network ecology, Systems analysis
@article{Allen2014,
title = {Holons, creaons, genons, environs, in hierarchy theory: Where we have gone},
author = {Timothy Allen and Mario Giampietro},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0304380014002993},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2014.06.017},
issn = {03043800},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-12-01},
journal = {Ecological Modelling},
volume = {293},
pages = {31--41},
publisher = {Elsevier},
abstract = {This paper compares and contrasts hierarchy theory and network theory, with the purpose of instructing practitioners in both fields, particularly network theorist, as to how each might relate, and translate to the other. Hierarchy theory and network theory are distinctive but twins. Network theory works its way upscale, incrementally, while hierarchy theory reaches upscale, happy to redefine situations at each new level. Both theories are distinguished from most others in their use of holons. Holons are the vehicle used in this paper to tie network and hierarchy theory together, and show how working in tandem they can advance complexity theory in biology in general. Holons are dual structures that embody contradiction in simultaneous wholeness and partness. Patten defines holons in terms of how they function, and in this way he translates across levels with explicit steps. He does this by specifying the input environs (environment) to feed creaons, the input points of holons. The output environ is fed by the holon's genon, the points of output. These steps limit the rescaling of network theory, but allow quantification all the way. Hierarchy theory is not so limited in rescaling, but it pays the price of limiting quantification across levels. Hierarchy theory reaches further upscale with set theoretic devices that make it robust across many levels. It is explicit about the categories. Networks are internally consistent and so present models, the dualities of holons notwithstanding. When inconsistency looms, hierarchy theory moves to narratives, which do not have to be consistent, as models must. In a new elaboration of holon here, hierarchy theory identifies an energy/matter half separate from a coded information half. There are three processes: creating, becoming something else, and narrating to the world; all three progress at their own rates, associated with different causalities. It all maps onto taxon, creaon, genon, and environs, emphasizing the larger unity of network and hierarchy theory. Biological and ecological sub-disciplines map onto different parts of the holon. There is also a new theory of how observer decisions are critical in holons. The move between levels that characterizes complexity causes complex systems to become undefinable. With regard to that issue hierarchy theory offers the robustness of narrative form, while network theory hangs on to definitions as long as it can. As hierarchy theory moves upscale, fixed parameters become variables and lose their constancy. In this way structures melt into behavior of some yet higher level structure. Hierarchy theory considers melting structure as being no problem, while network theory ignores the fact that just beyond its purview, structures do indeed melt. So we need hierarchy theory and network theory in tandem to make network theory bolder, and hierarchy theory more tractably quantitative.},
keywords = {Complexity, Hierarchy Theory, Holon, Narrative, Network ecology, Systems analysis},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This paper compares and contrasts hierarchy theory and network theory, with the purpose of instructing practitioners in both fields, particularly network theorist, as to how each might relate, and translate to the other. Hierarchy theory and network theory are distinctive but twins. Network theory works its way upscale, incrementally, while hierarchy theory reaches upscale, happy to redefine situations at each new level. Both theories are distinguished from most others in their use of holons. Holons are the vehicle used in this paper to tie network and hierarchy theory together, and show how working in tandem they can advance complexity theory in biology in general. Holons are dual structures that embody contradiction in simultaneous wholeness and partness. Patten defines holons in terms of how they function, and in this way he translates across levels with explicit steps. He does this by specifying the input environs (environment) to feed creaons, the input points of holons. The output environ is fed by the holon's genon, the points of output. These steps limit the rescaling of network theory, but allow quantification all the way. Hierarchy theory is not so limited in rescaling, but it pays the price of limiting quantification across levels. Hierarchy theory reaches further upscale with set theoretic devices that make it robust across many levels. It is explicit about the categories. Networks are internally consistent and so present models, the dualities of holons notwithstanding. When inconsistency looms, hierarchy theory moves to narratives, which do not have to be consistent, as models must. In a new elaboration of holon here, hierarchy theory identifies an energy/matter half separate from a coded information half. There are three processes: creating, becoming something else, and narrating to the world; all three progress at their own rates, associated with different causalities. It all maps onto taxon, creaon, genon, and environs, emphasizing the larger unity of network and hierarchy theory. Biological and ecological sub-disciplines map onto different parts of the holon. There is also a new theory of how observer decisions are critical in holons. The move between levels that characterizes complexity causes complex systems to become undefinable. With regard to that issue hierarchy theory offers the robustness of narrative form, while network theory hangs on to definitions as long as it can. As hierarchy theory moves upscale, fixed parameters become variables and lose their constancy. In this way structures melt into behavior of some yet higher level structure. Hierarchy theory considers melting structure as being no problem, while network theory ignores the fact that just beyond its purview, structures do indeed melt. So we need hierarchy theory and network theory in tandem to make network theory bolder, and hierarchy theory more tractably quantitative.
Footprints to nowhere Journal Article
Giampietro, Mario; Saltelli, Andrea
In: Ecological Indicators, 46 , pp. 610–621, 2014, ISSN: 1470160X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Ecological economics, Ecological footprint, Post-normal science, Science for governance, Sustainability indicators, Sustainable Development
@article{Giampietro2014a,
title = {Footprints to nowhere},
author = {Mario Giampietro and Andrea Saltelli},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1470160X14000387},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.01.030},
issn = {1470160X},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-11-01},
journal = {Ecological Indicators},
volume = {46},
pages = {610--621},
abstract = {Crisp numbers make it to the headlines. However, it is unlikely that a single crisp number can capture a complex issue, such as the analysis of the sustainability of human progress both at the local and the global scale. This paper tackles this standard epistemological predicament in relation to a media-friendly model of man's impact on Nature: the Ecological Footprint (EF). The claim made by the proponents of this analytical tool is that EF makes it possible to check “how much is taken” by the economic process versus “how much could be taken” according to ecological processes. In this paper we argue that the ecological footprint assessment \textendash purportedly useful as an argument against the idea of perpetual growth \textendash is fraught with internal contradictions. Our critical appraisal is based on the lack of correspondence between the semantics \textendash the claim about what the EF accounting does \textendash and the syntax \textendash the EF protocol of accounting that should deliver the purported output. We critically examine the various assumptions used in the approach, showing that the EF is in contradiction with its stated purposes and would lead to paradoxes if its prescriptions were used for policy making. We also contend that the laboriousness of EF computation protocols contrasts with its ultimate fragility. In fact the estimate of carbon footprint due to energy production is what determines the assessment of the planet's deficit of virtual land. We show that this estimate cannot be defended in light of the assumptions and simplifications used for its construction. Our conclusion is that the EF does not serve a meaningful discussion on the modeling of sustainability, and that the same media-friendly narrative about the Earth Overshot day is in the end reassuring and complacent when considering other aspects on man's pressure on the planet and its ecosystems.},
keywords = {Ecological economics, Ecological footprint, Post-normal science, Science for governance, Sustainability indicators, Sustainable Development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Crisp numbers make it to the headlines. However, it is unlikely that a single crisp number can capture a complex issue, such as the analysis of the sustainability of human progress both at the local and the global scale. This paper tackles this standard epistemological predicament in relation to a media-friendly model of man's impact on Nature: the Ecological Footprint (EF). The claim made by the proponents of this analytical tool is that EF makes it possible to check “how much is taken” by the economic process versus “how much could be taken” according to ecological processes. In this paper we argue that the ecological footprint assessment – purportedly useful as an argument against the idea of perpetual growth – is fraught with internal contradictions. Our critical appraisal is based on the lack of correspondence between the semantics – the claim about what the EF accounting does – and the syntax – the EF protocol of accounting that should deliver the purported output. We critically examine the various assumptions used in the approach, showing that the EF is in contradiction with its stated purposes and would lead to paradoxes if its prescriptions were used for policy making. We also contend that the laboriousness of EF computation protocols contrasts with its ultimate fragility. In fact the estimate of carbon footprint due to energy production is what determines the assessment of the planet's deficit of virtual land. We show that this estimate cannot be defended in light of the assumptions and simplifications used for its construction. Our conclusion is that the EF does not serve a meaningful discussion on the modeling of sustainability, and that the same media-friendly narrative about the Earth Overshot day is in the end reassuring and complacent when considering other aspects on man's pressure on the planet and its ecosystems.
Footworking in circles Journal Article
Giampietro, Mario; Saltelli, Andrea
In: Ecological Indicators, 46 , pp. 260–263, 2014, ISSN: 1470160X.
@article{Giampietro2014b,
title = {Footworking in circles},
author = {Mario Giampietro and Andrea Saltelli},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1470160X14002726},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.06.019},
issn = {1470160X},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-11-01},
journal = {Ecological Indicators},
volume = {46},
pages = {260--263},
publisher = {Elsevier},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Integrating energy and land-use planning: socio-metabolic profiles along the rural–urban continuum in Catalonia (Spain) Journal Article
Ariza-Montobbio, Pere; Farrell, Katharine N.; Gamboa, Gonzalo; Ramos-Martin, Jesus
In: Environment, Development and Sustainability, 16 (4), pp. 925–956, 2014, ISSN: 1387-585X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Ecology, Economic Geology, Economic Growth, Environmental Economics, Environmental Management, Sustainable Development
@article{Ariza-Montobbio2014,
title = {Integrating energy and land-use planning: socio-metabolic profiles along the rural\textendashurban continuum in Catalonia (Spain)},
author = {Pere Ariza-Montobbio and Katharine N. Farrell and Gonzalo Gamboa and Jesus Ramos-Martin},
url = {https://link-springer-com.are.uab.cat/article/10.1007/s10668-014-9533-x http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-014-9533-x},
doi = {10.1007/s10668-014-9533-x},
issn = {1387-585X},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-08-01},
journal = {Environment, Development and Sustainability},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {925--956},
publisher = {Springer},
abstract = {Abandoning fossil fuels and increasingly relying on low-density, land-intensive renewable energy will increase demand for land, affecting current global and regional rural\textendashurban relationships. Over the past two decades, rural\textendashurban relationships all over the world have witnessed unprecedented changes that have rendered their boundaries blurred and have lead to the emergence of “new ruralities.” In this paper, we analyze the current profiles of electricity generation and consumption in relation to sociodemographic variables related to the use of time and land across the territory of Catalonia, Spain. Through a clustering procedure based on multivariate statistical analysis, we found that electricity consumption is related to functional specialization in the roles undertaken by different types of municipalities in the urban system. Municipality types have distinctive metabolic profiles in different sectors depending on their industrial, services or residential role. Villages' metabolism is influenced by urban sprawl and industrial specialization, reflecting current “new ruralities.” Segregation between work activity and residence increases both overall electricity consumption and its rate (per hour) and density (per hectare) of dissipation. A sustainable spatial organization of societal activities without the use of fossil fuels or nuclear energy would require huge structural and sociodemographic changes to reduce energy demand and adapt it to regionally available renewable energy.},
keywords = {Ecology, Economic Geology, Economic Growth, Environmental Economics, Environmental Management, Sustainable Development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Abandoning fossil fuels and increasingly relying on low-density, land-intensive renewable energy will increase demand for land, affecting current global and regional rural–urban relationships. Over the past two decades, rural–urban relationships all over the world have witnessed unprecedented changes that have rendered their boundaries blurred and have lead to the emergence of “new ruralities.” In this paper, we analyze the current profiles of electricity generation and consumption in relation to sociodemographic variables related to the use of time and land across the territory of Catalonia, Spain. Through a clustering procedure based on multivariate statistical analysis, we found that electricity consumption is related to functional specialization in the roles undertaken by different types of municipalities in the urban system. Municipality types have distinctive metabolic profiles in different sectors depending on their industrial, services or residential role. Villages' metabolism is influenced by urban sprawl and industrial specialization, reflecting current “new ruralities.” Segregation between work activity and residence increases both overall electricity consumption and its rate (per hour) and density (per hectare) of dissipation. A sustainable spatial organization of societal activities without the use of fossil fuels or nuclear energy would require huge structural and sociodemographic changes to reduce energy demand and adapt it to regionally available renewable energy.
Pathways of rural change: an integrated assessment of metabolic patterns in emerging ruralities Journal Article
Ravera, F.; Scheidel, A.; Dell'Angelo, J.; Gamboa, G.; Serrano, T.; Mingorría, S.; Cabello, V.; Arizpe, N.; Ariza, P.
In: Environment, Development and Sustainability, 16 (4), pp. 811–820, 2014, ISSN: 1387-585X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Ecology, Economic Geology, Economic Growth, Environmental Economics, Environmental Management, Sustainable Development
@article{Ravera2014,
title = {Pathways of rural change: an integrated assessment of metabolic patterns in emerging ruralities},
author = {F. Ravera and A. Scheidel and J. Dell'Angelo and G. Gamboa and T. Serrano and S. Mingorr\'{i}a and V. Cabello and N. Arizpe and P. Ariza},
url = {https://link-springer-com.are.uab.cat/article/10.1007/s10668-014-9534-9 http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-014-9534-9},
doi = {10.1007/s10668-014-9534-9},
issn = {1387-585X},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-08-01},
journal = {Environment, Development and Sustainability},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {811--820},
publisher = {Springer},
abstract = {While rural transformations are nothing new in human history, current processes of rural change occur under multiple forces at an unprecedented pace, involving profound and unexpected changes in land use and users, and rapid transformations in the metabolic patterns of rural systems. The present special section aims to shed light on current drivers and pathways of rural change by analyzing, under a common conceptual and theoretical framework, examples of new ruralities that are emerging as responses across different world regions. Within this context, this introduction presents: (1) common research questions of the six presented cases of rural change; (2) the general theoretical and methodological framework of integrated assessment of societal metabolism adopted to analyze rural systems and (3) the main contributions and conclusions that could be drawn from six context-specific case studies from Asia, Latin America and Europe.},
keywords = {Ecology, Economic Geology, Economic Growth, Environmental Economics, Environmental Management, Sustainable Development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
While rural transformations are nothing new in human history, current processes of rural change occur under multiple forces at an unprecedented pace, involving profound and unexpected changes in land use and users, and rapid transformations in the metabolic patterns of rural systems. The present special section aims to shed light on current drivers and pathways of rural change by analyzing, under a common conceptual and theoretical framework, examples of new ruralities that are emerging as responses across different world regions. Within this context, this introduction presents: (1) common research questions of the six presented cases of rural change; (2) the general theoretical and methodological framework of integrated assessment of societal metabolism adopted to analyze rural systems and (3) the main contributions and conclusions that could be drawn from six context-specific case studies from Asia, Latin America and Europe.
Land poverty and emerging ruralities in Cambodia: insights from Kampot province Journal Article
Scheidel, Arnim; Farrell, Katharine N.; Ramos-Martin, Jesús; Giampietro, Mario; Mayumi, Kozo
In: Environment, Development and Sustainability, 16 (4), pp. 823–840, 2014, ISSN: 1387-585X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Cambodia, Emerging ruralities, Land poverty, Livelihood strategies, Smallholder agriculture, Societal metabolism
@article{Scheidel2014,
title = {Land poverty and emerging ruralities in Cambodia: insights from Kampot province},
author = {Arnim Scheidel and Katharine N. Farrell and Jes\'{u}s Ramos-Martin and Mario Giampietro and Kozo Mayumi},
url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-014-9529-6},
doi = {10.1007/s10668-014-9529-6},
issn = {1387-585X},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-08-01},
journal = {Environment, Development and Sustainability},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {823--840},
abstract = {Rural change in Cambodia manifests itself in rapidly declining land availability for the smallholder sector, posing the question of how farmers may be able to deal with limited access to land. In this paper, we discuss with a case study village and household livelihood strategies of smallholders currently operating under land-constrained conditions. Based on an integrated assessment of a smallholder village in Kampot province, we illustrate in quantitative terms how land shortage is creating problems of surplus generation and liquidity issues in monetary and non-monetary flows. At the household level, livelihood diversification based on the involvement of productive resources other than land may play an increasing role, particularly in the future, when levels of land shortage may increase. At the village level, smallholder may respond through institutional innovation, in particular through the establishment of a community banking system and a paddy rice bank to provide money and rice credits to overcome transitory shortages and to cover investment costs for additional productive resources. Thus, in this case, we observe the emergence of new patterns of livelihood in rural areas, based on the integration of non-land-based economic activities and new institutional settings. textcopyright 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.},
keywords = {Cambodia, Emerging ruralities, Land poverty, Livelihood strategies, Smallholder agriculture, Societal metabolism},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Rural change in Cambodia manifests itself in rapidly declining land availability for the smallholder sector, posing the question of how farmers may be able to deal with limited access to land. In this paper, we discuss with a case study village and household livelihood strategies of smallholders currently operating under land-constrained conditions. Based on an integrated assessment of a smallholder village in Kampot province, we illustrate in quantitative terms how land shortage is creating problems of surplus generation and liquidity issues in monetary and non-monetary flows. At the household level, livelihood diversification based on the involvement of productive resources other than land may play an increasing role, particularly in the future, when levels of land shortage may increase. At the village level, smallholder may respond through institutional innovation, in particular through the establishment of a community banking system and a paddy rice bank to provide money and rice credits to overcome transitory shortages and to cover investment costs for additional productive resources. Thus, in this case, we observe the emergence of new patterns of livelihood in rural areas, based on the integration of non-land-based economic activities and new institutional settings. textcopyright 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.
An assessment of the metabolic profile implied by agricultural change in two rural communities in the North of Argentina Journal Article
Arizpe, Nancy; Ramos-Martín, Jesús; Giampietro, Mario
In: Environment, Development and Sustainability, 16 (4), pp. 903–924, 2014, ISSN: 1387-585X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Biophysical accounting, Chaco, Land-time budget analysis, Multi-scale integrated analysis, Rural development, Societal metabolism, Soy expansion
@article{Arizpe2014,
title = {An assessment of the metabolic profile implied by agricultural change in two rural communities in the North of Argentina},
author = {Nancy Arizpe and Jes\'{u}s Ramos-Mart\'{i}n and Mario Giampietro},
url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-014-9532-y},
doi = {10.1007/s10668-014-9532-y},
issn = {1387-585X},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-08-01},
journal = {Environment, Development and Sustainability},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {903--924},
abstract = {The soy expansion model in Argentina generates structural changes in traditional lifestyles, which can be associated with different biophysical and socioeconomic impacts. To explore this issue, we apply an innovative method for integrated assessment-the multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism framework-to characterize two communities in the Chaco Region, Province of Formosa, North of Argentina. These communities have recently experienced the expansion of soy production, altering their economic activity, energy consumption patterns, land use and human time allocation. The integrated characterization presented in the paper illustrates the differences (biophysical, socioeconomic and historical) between the two communities that can be associated with different responses. The analysis of the factors behind these differences has important policy implications for the sustainable development of local communities in the area. textcopyright 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.},
keywords = {Biophysical accounting, Chaco, Land-time budget analysis, Multi-scale integrated analysis, Rural development, Societal metabolism, Soy expansion},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The soy expansion model in Argentina generates structural changes in traditional lifestyles, which can be associated with different biophysical and socioeconomic impacts. To explore this issue, we apply an innovative method for integrated assessment-the multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism framework-to characterize two communities in the Chaco Region, Province of Formosa, North of Argentina. These communities have recently experienced the expansion of soy production, altering their economic activity, energy consumption patterns, land use and human time allocation. The integrated characterization presented in the paper illustrates the differences (biophysical, socioeconomic and historical) between the two communities that can be associated with different responses. The analysis of the factors behind these differences has important policy implications for the sustainable development of local communities in the area. textcopyright 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.
Water use in arid rural systems and the integration of water and agricultural policies in Europe: the case of Andarax river basin Journal Article
Villarejo, Violeta Cabello; Lopez, Cristina Madrid
In: Environment, Development and Sustainability, 16 (4), pp. 957–975, 2014, ISSN: 1387-585X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Ecology, Economic Geology, Economic Growth, Environmental Economics, Environmental Management, Sustainable Development
@article{CabelloVillarejo2014,
title = {Water use in arid rural systems and the integration of water and agricultural policies in Europe: the case of Andarax river basin},
author = {Violeta Cabello Villarejo and Cristina Madrid Lopez},
url = {https://link-springer-com.are.uab.cat/article/10.1007/s10668-014-9535-8 http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-014-9535-8},
doi = {10.1007/s10668-014-9535-8},
issn = {1387-585X},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-08-01},
journal = {Environment, Development and Sustainability},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {957--975},
publisher = {Springer},
abstract = {Water is a precious resource in arid rural areas with irrigated agriculture. Nonetheless, water and agricultural policies in Europe show different management scopes and objectives, usually translated in divergent drivers of rural change. This paper has a double aim: to propose a specific method for quantitative biophysical analysis of water use in rural systems with the multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism approach and to show the usefulness of this method for the assessment of the integration of water and agricultural policies. The river basin scale is chosen, since it is the socioecological unit for water management established in the water framework directive 2000/60/CE. A multi-scale water use accounting is provided for a Mediterranean river basin in Andalusia, integrating water cycle, ecosystems and social levels. Particularly focusing on agricultural production, a relevant set of indicators is proposed in order to analyze and compare different metabolic patterns. Finally, the integration of water and agricultural planning is assessed in terms of external (biophysical) and internal (economic, institutional) constraints of the new water-use patterns generated by the scenarios posed in these policies. While on a European level water policy is ambitious in terms of ecological conservation, the lack of integration within the common agricultural policy and the entanglement of multiple scales of political and economic organization of local ruralities blur its priority in a rather slow transition to a new water culture.},
keywords = {Ecology, Economic Geology, Economic Growth, Environmental Economics, Environmental Management, Sustainable Development},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Water is a precious resource in arid rural areas with irrigated agriculture. Nonetheless, water and agricultural policies in Europe show different management scopes and objectives, usually translated in divergent drivers of rural change. This paper has a double aim: to propose a specific method for quantitative biophysical analysis of water use in rural systems with the multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism approach and to show the usefulness of this method for the assessment of the integration of water and agricultural policies. The river basin scale is chosen, since it is the socioecological unit for water management established in the water framework directive 2000/60/CE. A multi-scale water use accounting is provided for a Mediterranean river basin in Andalusia, integrating water cycle, ecosystems and social levels. Particularly focusing on agricultural production, a relevant set of indicators is proposed in order to analyze and compare different metabolic patterns. Finally, the integration of water and agricultural planning is assessed in terms of external (biophysical) and internal (economic, institutional) constraints of the new water-use patterns generated by the scenarios posed in these policies. While on a European level water policy is ambitious in terms of ecological conservation, the lack of integration within the common agricultural policy and the entanglement of multiple scales of political and economic organization of local ruralities blur its priority in a rather slow transition to a new water culture.
Assessing Sustainability: The Societal Metabolism of Water in Israel Journal Article
Kovacic, Zora
In: International Journal of Performability Engineering, 10 (4), pp. 387, 2014, ISSN: 0973-1318.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags:
@article{Kovacic2014,
title = {Assessing Sustainability: The Societal Metabolism of Water in Israel},
author = {Zora Kovacic},
url = {http://www.ijpe-online.com/EN/10.23940/ijpe.14.4.p387.mag},
doi = {10.23940/IJPE.14.4.P387.MAG},
issn = {0973-1318},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-06-01},
journal = {International Journal of Performability Engineering},
volume = {10},
number = {4},
pages = {387},
abstract = {Water management in Israel faces significant challenges in terms of physical scarcity and ecosystem stability, due to the increasing water demand for irrigation and drinking and the prominent role of water in environmental conflicts. Defining sustainability in this context requires an analytical framework that can handle non-equivalent descriptive domains, namely the social, economic and environmental dimensions, and multiple spatial and temporal scales of analysis. This paper provides an integrated assessment of bio-physical and socio-economic factors in order to generate a more holistic vision of societal metabolism and water use in Israel. Results show how the current metabolic pattern is sustained thanks to the generation of an economic surplus, which makes it possible to cope with water and land scarcity through imports. A set of indicators is used to show how the assessment of the feasibility, viability and desirability changes depending on the scale of analysis and on the values and beliefs considered.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Water management in Israel faces significant challenges in terms of physical scarcity and ecosystem stability, due to the increasing water demand for irrigation and drinking and the prominent role of water in environmental conflicts. Defining sustainability in this context requires an analytical framework that can handle non-equivalent descriptive domains, namely the social, economic and environmental dimensions, and multiple spatial and temporal scales of analysis. This paper provides an integrated assessment of bio-physical and socio-economic factors in order to generate a more holistic vision of societal metabolism and water use in Israel. Results show how the current metabolic pattern is sustained thanks to the generation of an economic surplus, which makes it possible to cope with water and land scarcity through imports. A set of indicators is used to show how the assessment of the feasibility, viability and desirability changes depending on the scale of analysis and on the values and beliefs considered.
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