Publications
The technique is never neutral. How methodological choices condition the generation of narratives for sustainability Journal Article
Saltelli, Andrea; Benini, Lorenzo; Funtowicz, Silvio; Giampietro, Mario; Kaiser, Matthias; Reinert, Erik; Sluijs, Jeroen P.
In: Environmental Science & Policy, 106 , pp. 87–98, 2020, ISSN: 14629011.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Bioeconomics, Circular economy, Controversy studies, Decarbonization, Ethical matrices, Ethics, European environment agency, Food ethics, Green growth, Heterodox economics, Honeybees, Insectageddon, Integrated assessment, Nexus water-energy-food, Non-ricardian economics, Post normal science, Relational ecology, Sensitivity auditing, sustainability, Transitions
@article{Saltelli2020,
title = {The technique is never neutral. How methodological choices condition the generation of narratives for sustainability},
author = {Andrea Saltelli and Lorenzo Benini and Silvio Funtowicz and Mario Giampietro and Matthias Kaiser and Erik Reinert and Jeroen P. Sluijs},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1462901119304721},
doi = {10.1016/j.envsci.2020.01.008},
issn = {14629011},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-04-01},
journal = {Environmental Science & Policy},
volume = {106},
pages = {87--98},
abstract = {textcopyright 2020 The Authors How to tackle uncertainties and ensure quality in integrated assessment for sustainability? To what extent does the choice of the methodology condition the narrative produced by the analysis? The present work argues that the two questions are tightly coupled. The technique is never neutral. If we are the tools of our tools, as suggested by Thoreau, then it can also be said that language is not only a vehicle for communication, it is the driver as well. For this reason, in sustainability assessment it is not unusual to discern a close relationship between arguments made and methods adopted. In the present work a set of six reflexive analytical tools \textendash we call them lenses \textendash is suggested which could be pooled to the effect to appraise and improve the quality of integrated assessment and the resulting sustainability narratives, and to alleviate the constraints of the method-argument dependency. None of the lenses is new and each has been used before. Never have they been used together. The lenses are (i) Post-normal science (PNS), (ii) Controversy studies, (iii) Sensitivity auditing, (iv) Bioeconomics, (v) Ethics of science for governance, and (vi) Non-Ricardian economics. The six lenses are illustrated together with a set of case/narratives/arguments. The lenses allow some narratives \textendash or methodologies \textendash to be shown as either implausible or inadequate, and new narratives to be developed to tackle pressing sustainability issues, which expand the horizon of possible strategies for a solution.},
keywords = {Bioeconomics, Circular economy, Controversy studies, Decarbonization, Ethical matrices, Ethics, European environment agency, Food ethics, Green growth, Heterodox economics, Honeybees, Insectageddon, Integrated assessment, Nexus water-energy-food, Non-ricardian economics, Post normal science, Relational ecology, Sensitivity auditing, sustainability, Transitions},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
textcopyright 2020 The Authors How to tackle uncertainties and ensure quality in integrated assessment for sustainability? To what extent does the choice of the methodology condition the narrative produced by the analysis? The present work argues that the two questions are tightly coupled. The technique is never neutral. If we are the tools of our tools, as suggested by Thoreau, then it can also be said that language is not only a vehicle for communication, it is the driver as well. For this reason, in sustainability assessment it is not unusual to discern a close relationship between arguments made and methods adopted. In the present work a set of six reflexive analytical tools – we call them lenses – is suggested which could be pooled to the effect to appraise and improve the quality of integrated assessment and the resulting sustainability narratives, and to alleviate the constraints of the method-argument dependency. None of the lenses is new and each has been used before. Never have they been used together. The lenses are (i) Post-normal science (PNS), (ii) Controversy studies, (iii) Sensitivity auditing, (iv) Bioeconomics, (v) Ethics of science for governance, and (vi) Non-Ricardian economics. The six lenses are illustrated together with a set of case/narratives/arguments. The lenses allow some narratives – or methodologies – to be shown as either implausible or inadequate, and new narratives to be developed to tackle pressing sustainability issues, which expand the horizon of possible strategies for a solution.
Relational analysis of the oil and gas sector of Mexico: Implications for Mexico's energy reform Journal Article
González-López, Rafael; Giampietro, Mario
In: Energy, 154 , pp. 403–414, 2018, ISSN: 03605442.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: energy system, Integrated assessment, Mexico's Energy Reform, MuSIASEM, oil and gas sector, Relational analysis
@article{Gonzalez-Lopez2018,
title = {Relational analysis of the oil and gas sector of Mexico: Implications for Mexico's energy reform},
author = {Rafael Gonz\'{a}lez-L\'{o}pez and Mario Giampietro},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0360544218307503},
doi = {10.1016/j.energy.2018.04.134},
issn = {03605442},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-07-01},
journal = {Energy},
volume = {154},
pages = {403--414},
abstract = {textcopyright 2018 Elsevier Ltd This paper describes a novel tool-kit to analyze energy systems in relation to the bio-economic and environmental performance of society. It is illustrated with data from the oil and gas sector of Mexico. The approach combines relational analysis (as developed in theoretical biology) and Multi-Scale Integrated Assessment of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM). It integrates two non-equivalent views of the functioning of the oil and gas system starting from the identification and description of the relations between functional and structural elements. The metabolic pattern of the energy system is described as a sequential pathway generated by different functional elements (e.g., extraction, refining, transportation), each of which is made up of different structural elements (e.g., plants adopting different extraction techniques, diverse types of refineries, different methods of transportation), and operating at a given level of openness (imports and exports). The relations found over the elements of the energy system are described both in functional terms (what/why) and in spatial terms (where/how). The policy relevance of the information generated is discussed in relation to the Mexican Energy Reform.},
keywords = {energy system, Integrated assessment, Mexico's Energy Reform, MuSIASEM, oil and gas sector, Relational analysis},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
textcopyright 2018 Elsevier Ltd This paper describes a novel tool-kit to analyze energy systems in relation to the bio-economic and environmental performance of society. It is illustrated with data from the oil and gas sector of Mexico. The approach combines relational analysis (as developed in theoretical biology) and Multi-Scale Integrated Assessment of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM). It integrates two non-equivalent views of the functioning of the oil and gas system starting from the identification and description of the relations between functional and structural elements. The metabolic pattern of the energy system is described as a sequential pathway generated by different functional elements (e.g., extraction, refining, transportation), each of which is made up of different structural elements (e.g., plants adopting different extraction techniques, diverse types of refineries, different methods of transportation), and operating at a given level of openness (imports and exports). The relations found over the elements of the energy system are described both in functional terms (what/why) and in spatial terms (where/how). The policy relevance of the information generated is discussed in relation to the Mexican Energy Reform.
Kiravu, Cheddi; Diaz-Maurin, François; Giampietro, Mario; Brent, Alan C.; Bukkens, Sandra G. F.; Chiguvare, Zivayi; Gasennelwe-Jeffrey, Mandu A.; Gope, Gideon; Kovacic, Zora; Magole, Lapologang; Musango, Josephine Kaviti; Hernando, Ulpiano Ruiz-Rivas; Smit, Suzanne; Barquero, Antonio Vázquez; Mezquita, Felipe Yunta
In: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 19 (3), pp. 622–641, 2018, ISSN: 1467-6370.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Energy planning, Higher education curricula, Integrated assessment, Nexus assessment, Participatory methods, Transdisciplinary education
@article{Kiravu2018,
title = {Proposing a master's programme on participatory integrated assessment of energy systems to promote energy access and energy efficiency in Southern Africa},
author = {Cheddi Kiravu and Fran\c{c}ois Diaz-Maurin and Mario Giampietro and Alan C. Brent and Sandra G. F. Bukkens and Zivayi Chiguvare and Mandu A. Gasennelwe-Jeffrey and Gideon Gope and Zora Kovacic and Lapologang Magole and Josephine Kaviti Musango and Ulpiano Ruiz-Rivas Hernando and Suzanne Smit and Antonio V\'{a}zquez Barquero and Felipe Yunta Mezquita},
url = {https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJSHE-04-2017-0048/full/html},
doi = {10.1108/IJSHE-04-2017-0048},
issn = {1467-6370},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-02-01},
journal = {International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education},
volume = {19},
number = {3},
pages = {622--641},
abstract = {textcopyright 2017 Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose \textendash This paper aims to present a new master's programme for promoting energy access and energy efficiency in Southern Africa. Design/methodology/approach \textendash A transdisciplinary approach called “participatory integrated assessment of energy systems” (PARTICIPIA) was used for the development of the curriculum. This approach is based on the two emerging fields of “multi-scale integrated assessment” and “science for governance”, which bring innovative concepts and methods. Findings \textendash The application of the PARTICIPIA methodology to three case studies reveals that the proposed transdisciplinary approach could support energy and development policies in the region. The implementation of the PARTICIPIA curriculum in three higher education institutions reveals its ability to respond to the needs of specific contexts and its connection with existing higher education programmes. Practical implications \textendash Considering energy issues from a transdisciplinary approach in higher education is absolutely critical because such a holistic view cannot be achieved through engineering curricula. Deliberate and greater efforts should be made to integrate methods from “multi-scale integrated assessment” and “science for governance” in higher education curricula to train a new breed of modern-day energy planners in charge of coming up with solutions that are shared by all relevant stakeholders. Originality/value \textendash This paper presents an innovative higher education curriculum in terms of the attention given to energy access and energy efficiency that affect the southern Africa region and the nature of the methodology adopted to face these issues.},
keywords = {Energy planning, Higher education curricula, Integrated assessment, Nexus assessment, Participatory methods, Transdisciplinary education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
textcopyright 2017 Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose – This paper aims to present a new master's programme for promoting energy access and energy efficiency in Southern Africa. Design/methodology/approach – A transdisciplinary approach called “participatory integrated assessment of energy systems” (PARTICIPIA) was used for the development of the curriculum. This approach is based on the two emerging fields of “multi-scale integrated assessment” and “science for governance”, which bring innovative concepts and methods. Findings – The application of the PARTICIPIA methodology to three case studies reveals that the proposed transdisciplinary approach could support energy and development policies in the region. The implementation of the PARTICIPIA curriculum in three higher education institutions reveals its ability to respond to the needs of specific contexts and its connection with existing higher education programmes. Practical implications – Considering energy issues from a transdisciplinary approach in higher education is absolutely critical because such a holistic view cannot be achieved through engineering curricula. Deliberate and greater efforts should be made to integrate methods from “multi-scale integrated assessment” and “science for governance” in higher education curricula to train a new breed of modern-day energy planners in charge of coming up with solutions that are shared by all relevant stakeholders. Originality/value – This paper presents an innovative higher education curriculum in terms of the attention given to energy access and energy efficiency that affect the southern Africa region and the nature of the methodology adopted to face these issues.
The lose - lose predicament of deforestation through subsistence farming: Unpacking agricultural expansion in the Ecuadorian Amazon Journal Article
Kovacic, Zora; Salazar, Oswaldo Viteri
In: Journal of Rural Studies, 51 , pp. 105–114, 2017, ISSN: 07430167.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Agro-ecology, Deforestation, Integrated assessment, Smallholders, Societal metabolism, Typology
@article{Kovacic2017,
title = {The lose - lose predicament of deforestation through subsistence farming: Unpacking agricultural expansion in the Ecuadorian Amazon},
author = {Zora Kovacic and Oswaldo Viteri Salazar},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0743016717300992},
doi = {10.1016/j.jrurstud.2017.02.002},
issn = {07430167},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-04-01},
journal = {Journal of Rural Studies},
volume = {51},
pages = {105--114},
publisher = {Pergamon},
abstract = {Agricultural expansion in the Ecuadorian Amazon is carried out predominantly by small-scale farming systems, yet the impacts of smallholders on the ecosystem and social fabric are not fully understood. In this paper, we use the societal metabolism approach to operationalize the analytical concepts of complexity theory put forward by agro-ecology analysis. We define a typology of farming systems and assess the impact of different trends, such as population growth, the emergence of new farming practices and the implementation of policies aimed at increasing agricultural production, on (i) the livelihood of smallholders; (ii) the national economy; and (iii) deforestation and biodiversity loss. Our findings indicate that smallholders find themselves in a subsistence trap, in which intensification of agriculture does not lead to an improvement in income, exacerbates social inequalities, negatively affects the ecosystem and has negligible benefits for the national economy.},
keywords = {Agro-ecology, Deforestation, Integrated assessment, Smallholders, Societal metabolism, Typology},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Agricultural expansion in the Ecuadorian Amazon is carried out predominantly by small-scale farming systems, yet the impacts of smallholders on the ecosystem and social fabric are not fully understood. In this paper, we use the societal metabolism approach to operationalize the analytical concepts of complexity theory put forward by agro-ecology analysis. We define a typology of farming systems and assess the impact of different trends, such as population growth, the emergence of new farming practices and the implementation of policies aimed at increasing agricultural production, on (i) the livelihood of smallholders; (ii) the national economy; and (iii) deforestation and biodiversity loss. Our findings indicate that smallholders find themselves in a subsistence trap, in which intensification of agriculture does not lead to an improvement in income, exacerbates social inequalities, negatively affects the ecosystem and has negligible benefits for the national economy.
Aragão, Amanda; Giampietro, Mario
In: Energy, 115 , pp. 1412–1423, 2016, ISSN: 03605442.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Brazil, energy system, Integrated assessment, MuSIASEM, Natural gas, Oil
@article{Aragao2016,
title = {An integrated multi-scale approach to assess the performance of energy systems illustrated with data from the Brazilian oil and natural gas sector},
author = {Amanda Arag\~{a}o and Mario Giampietro},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0360544216308325},
doi = {10.1016/j.energy.2016.06.058},
issn = {03605442},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-11-01},
journal = {Energy},
volume = {115},
pages = {1412--1423},
abstract = {We apply Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) to the performance of society's energy system, and illustrate our approach with data from the Brazilian oil and natural gas sector. Key features of MuSIASEM include the multi-scale property and use of grammars. The former builds on a dual definition of the energy system: functional components or (sub)sectors are described as aggregate energy flows (extensive variables) using top-down information from statistics, while structural components (plants, technologies) are described as unitary operations (intensive variables). Integrating descriptions, we can scale information across the energy system's complex hierarchical organization. Use of an energy grammar mandates the pre-analytical definition of accounting categories, primary energy sources and energy carriers; thermal (e.g., fuels) and mechanical energy (e.g., electricity), and a set of expected relations over the different energy forms. Our preliminary analysis shows that MuSIASEM effectively describes the required investment of energy carriers (in quantity and quality) and other production factors, such as labor, in society's energy sector.},
keywords = {Brazil, energy system, Integrated assessment, MuSIASEM, Natural gas, Oil},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
We apply Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) to the performance of society's energy system, and illustrate our approach with data from the Brazilian oil and natural gas sector. Key features of MuSIASEM include the multi-scale property and use of grammars. The former builds on a dual definition of the energy system: functional components or (sub)sectors are described as aggregate energy flows (extensive variables) using top-down information from statistics, while structural components (plants, technologies) are described as unitary operations (intensive variables). Integrating descriptions, we can scale information across the energy system's complex hierarchical organization. Use of an energy grammar mandates the pre-analytical definition of accounting categories, primary energy sources and energy carriers; thermal (e.g., fuels) and mechanical energy (e.g., electricity), and a set of expected relations over the different energy forms. Our preliminary analysis shows that MuSIASEM effectively describes the required investment of energy carriers (in quantity and quality) and other production factors, such as labor, in society's energy sector.
The Complexity of Food Systems: Defining Relevant Attributes and Indicators for the Evaluation of Food Supply Chains in Spain Journal Article
Gamboa, Gonzalo; Kovacic, Zora; Masso, Marina Di; Mingorría, Sara; Gomiero, Tiziano; Rivera-Ferré, Marta; Giampietro, Mario
In: Sustainability, 8 (6), pp. 515, 2016, ISSN: 2071-1050.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Food supply chains, Food systems, Integrated assessment, Narratives
@article{Gamboa2016,
title = {The Complexity of Food Systems: Defining Relevant Attributes and Indicators for the Evaluation of Food Supply Chains in Spain},
author = {Gonzalo Gamboa and Zora Kovacic and Marina Di Masso and Sara Mingorr\'{i}a and Tiziano Gomiero and Marta Rivera-Ferr\'{e} and Mario Giampietro},
url = {http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/6/515},
doi = {10.3390/su8060515},
issn = {2071-1050},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-05-01},
journal = {Sustainability},
volume = {8},
number = {6},
pages = {515},
abstract = {The wide-ranging literature on food systems provides multiple perspectives and world views. Various stakeholders define food and food systems in non-equivalent ways. The perception of the performance of food systems is determined by these specific perspectives, and a wide variety of policies responding to different aims are proposed and implemented accordingly. This paper sets out to demonstrate that the pre-analytical adoption of different narratives about the food system leads to non-equivalent assessments of the performance of food supply chains. In order to do so, we (i) identify a set of relevant narratives on food supply chains in Spanish and Catalan contexts; (ii) identify the pertinent attributes needed to describe and represent food supply chains within the different perspectives or narratives; and (iii) carry out an integrated assessment of three organic tomato supply chains from the different perspectives. In doing so, the paper proposes an analysis of narratives to enable the analyst to characterize the performance of food supply chains from different perspectives and to identify the expected trade-offs of integrated assessment, associating them with the legitimate-but-contrasting views found among the social actors involved.},
keywords = {Food supply chains, Food systems, Integrated assessment, Narratives},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The wide-ranging literature on food systems provides multiple perspectives and world views. Various stakeholders define food and food systems in non-equivalent ways. The perception of the performance of food systems is determined by these specific perspectives, and a wide variety of policies responding to different aims are proposed and implemented accordingly. This paper sets out to demonstrate that the pre-analytical adoption of different narratives about the food system leads to non-equivalent assessments of the performance of food supply chains. In order to do so, we (i) identify a set of relevant narratives on food supply chains in Spanish and Catalan contexts; (ii) identify the pertinent attributes needed to describe and represent food supply chains within the different perspectives or narratives; and (iii) carry out an integrated assessment of three organic tomato supply chains from the different perspectives. In doing so, the paper proposes an analysis of narratives to enable the analyst to characterize the performance of food supply chains from different perspectives and to identify the expected trade-offs of integrated assessment, associating them with the legitimate-but-contrasting views found among the social actors involved.
Chifari, Rosaria
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2016, ISBN: 9788449066801.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Integrated assessment, Municipal solid waste, Naples
@phdthesis{Chifari2016,
title = {Integrated assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Metabolism. The case of the Metropolitan Area of Naples, Italy},
author = {Rosaria Chifari},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10803/399508},
isbn = {9788449066801},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-01-01},
pages = {258},
school = {Universitat Aut\`{o}noma de Barcelona},
abstract = {This dissertation develops a procedure for the integrated assessment of the performance of Municipal Solid Waste Management System (MSWMS) across dimensions and scales interfacing the quantitative analysis of biophysical flows with the socio-economic analysis. The usefulness and the shortcomings of this procedure have been tested in a real case study (The Metropolitan Area of Naples (MAN), Campania Region, Southern Italy). This procedure can be used as decision support system for carrying out an informed choice, based on the simultaneous consideration of different criteria of performance, when deciding about technological choices. The proposed decision support system combines two elements: (a) a holistic framework of analysis making it possible to carry out a multi-scale and multi-criteria analysis of: (i) the performance of a given MSWMS (ii) the option space of future changes in the existing network; (iii) the changes implied by the introduction of innovative technologies. (b) an integrated package of indicators referring to different criteria and scales that can be selected “\`{a} la carte” by social actors through participatory processes increasing the quality of the information used in the process of governance. The innovative holistic framework builds on the theory of metabolic networks and the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) accounting method. In this approach a MSWMS is perceived as an organ of a socio-ecological system that modulates the interaction between the metabolic processes of the urban area, which consume a flow of inputs and generate a flow of wastes, and those of the embedding ecosystems providing both some of the inputs used by the MSWMS and local sink capacity. The tool-kit for integrated analysis can characterize: (i) the waste flows produced by the urban system in terms of quantity and quality; (ii) the mix of inputs required for the operation of the stages of the waste management process, such as technology, employment, energy, water and material flows; (iii) the degree of openness of the system, that is, the imports and exports of urban waste flows in the stages of its operation; (iv) the final outputs released into the local environment. Preliminary data from the case study have been used to develop and illustrate the proposed theoretical framework. The metabolic network approach is then used to generate: (i) a multi-scale integrated representation of the current performance of the MSWMS of the MAN and (ii) a decision support tool to explore the policy option space. In relation to the last point, two alternative political options have been checked: “internalization of waste processing” and “increasing recycling rate”. The analysis pinpoints the different trade-offs associated to each of them. The application of the proposed method shows its usefulness: (i) it is semantically open since it can be applied in different geographic and cultural contexts; (ii) it can evaluate the effects of constraints belonging to different incommensurable dimensions such as technical, economic and social (viability and desirability) and environmental (feasibility) and (iii) it illustrates that there are not optimal solutions when coming to technological interventions. However, the analytical tool-kit demands large amounts of data from multiple and variegated sources. A robust quality check of the information requires time and commitment of the different actors that is difficult to maintain. Last but not least, the interaction with experts on the different steps of the process has proven the difficulty in opening a more complex discussion about the “big picture” of MSWMS. This discovery flags again the importance of the development of the presented analytical tool-kit, capable of providing a more holistic vision of the functioning of the MSWMS and useful inputs for better informed decisions.},
keywords = {Integrated assessment, Municipal solid waste, Naples},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
This dissertation develops a procedure for the integrated assessment of the performance of Municipal Solid Waste Management System (MSWMS) across dimensions and scales interfacing the quantitative analysis of biophysical flows with the socio-economic analysis. The usefulness and the shortcomings of this procedure have been tested in a real case study (The Metropolitan Area of Naples (MAN), Campania Region, Southern Italy). This procedure can be used as decision support system for carrying out an informed choice, based on the simultaneous consideration of different criteria of performance, when deciding about technological choices. The proposed decision support system combines two elements: (a) a holistic framework of analysis making it possible to carry out a multi-scale and multi-criteria analysis of: (i) the performance of a given MSWMS (ii) the option space of future changes in the existing network; (iii) the changes implied by the introduction of innovative technologies. (b) an integrated package of indicators referring to different criteria and scales that can be selected “à la carte” by social actors through participatory processes increasing the quality of the information used in the process of governance. The innovative holistic framework builds on the theory of metabolic networks and the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) accounting method. In this approach a MSWMS is perceived as an organ of a socio-ecological system that modulates the interaction between the metabolic processes of the urban area, which consume a flow of inputs and generate a flow of wastes, and those of the embedding ecosystems providing both some of the inputs used by the MSWMS and local sink capacity. The tool-kit for integrated analysis can characterize: (i) the waste flows produced by the urban system in terms of quantity and quality; (ii) the mix of inputs required for the operation of the stages of the waste management process, such as technology, employment, energy, water and material flows; (iii) the degree of openness of the system, that is, the imports and exports of urban waste flows in the stages of its operation; (iv) the final outputs released into the local environment. Preliminary data from the case study have been used to develop and illustrate the proposed theoretical framework. The metabolic network approach is then used to generate: (i) a multi-scale integrated representation of the current performance of the MSWMS of the MAN and (ii) a decision support tool to explore the policy option space. In relation to the last point, two alternative political options have been checked: “internalization of waste processing” and “increasing recycling rate”. The analysis pinpoints the different trade-offs associated to each of them. The application of the proposed method shows its usefulness: (i) it is semantically open since it can be applied in different geographic and cultural contexts; (ii) it can evaluate the effects of constraints belonging to different incommensurable dimensions such as technical, economic and social (viability and desirability) and environmental (feasibility) and (iii) it illustrates that there are not optimal solutions when coming to technological interventions. However, the analytical tool-kit demands large amounts of data from multiple and variegated sources. A robust quality check of the information requires time and commitment of the different actors that is difficult to maintain. Last but not least, the interaction with experts on the different steps of the process has proven the difficulty in opening a more complex discussion about the “big picture” of MSWMS. This discovery flags again the importance of the development of the presented analytical tool-kit, capable of providing a more holistic vision of the functioning of the MSWMS and useful inputs for better informed decisions.
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.
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.
Tovar, Tarik Serrano
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2014, ISBN: 9788449047879.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: GIS, Integrated assessment, Multi-scale
@phdthesis{SerranoTovar2014,
title = {Spatial analysis in MuSIASEM. The use of geographic information systems and land use applied to the integrated analysis of rural systems' metabolism},
author = {Tarik Serrano Tovar},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10803/286179 https://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/286179},
isbn = {9788449047879},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-05-01},
pages = {135},
school = {Universitat Aut\`{o}noma de Barcelona},
abstract = {This doctoral dissertation is about exploring and developing procedures making it possible to incorporate spatial analytical tools, and more concretely Geographic Information Systems (GIS), into one of the most interesting approaches to study sustainability issues: the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM). In particular, this is a methodological exercise having the goal to develop, test and propose tools that can be used for the integrated assessment of the sustainability of socio-ecological systems, and more specifically rural systems. Therefore, this thesis combines both theoretical discussions and practical case studies. The development of a robust methodology required dealing with the theory of complexity, whereas the test and calibration of the resulting methods required ground-based with empirical work. Thus, the dissertation goes through three main parts: an introductory part developing the theory, a second part with the three case studies and a third part with the conclusive reflections on the lessons learned about the methodology. The first part is divided in three chapters where I firstly make a general introduction to the context motivating this thesis, a second chapter in which I explain the MuSIASEM approach, the background theories and I justify why I have chosen this approach rather than others, and a third chapter where I develop the general theory and methodology to analyse rural systems tested in the second part. The second part of this dissertation contains the core of the applied research; the three case studies. The first application is a case study of rural Laos, where I develop a system of accounting capable of handling the quantitative information about the metabolic performance of typologies of farming systems across levels and scales based in the land use and GIS information. This quantitative method can scale-up and scale-down the characterization of elements defined on different hierarchical levels of organization, which can only be perceived and represented on non-equivalent descriptive domains. The second case study was undertaken in Guatemala and it included empirical field work. There, I established a procedure to generate geographic information at local level to be used for the metabolic analysis of the system, in order to later simulate scenarios taking into account geographic constraints. The third case study is more complex, it is an analysis of Mauritius Island integrating many dimensions and scales (energy, food, water, money, land use, human activity) and handling data through the use of GIS and remote sensing to simulate possible scenarios of development. The final part of the dissertation develops some reflections about the particular scope of this thesis (the use of GIS in MuSIASEM), and a last chapter of concluding theoretical remarks.},
keywords = {GIS, Integrated assessment, Multi-scale},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
This doctoral dissertation is about exploring and developing procedures making it possible to incorporate spatial analytical tools, and more concretely Geographic Information Systems (GIS), into one of the most interesting approaches to study sustainability issues: the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM). In particular, this is a methodological exercise having the goal to develop, test and propose tools that can be used for the integrated assessment of the sustainability of socio-ecological systems, and more specifically rural systems. Therefore, this thesis combines both theoretical discussions and practical case studies. The development of a robust methodology required dealing with the theory of complexity, whereas the test and calibration of the resulting methods required ground-based with empirical work. Thus, the dissertation goes through three main parts: an introductory part developing the theory, a second part with the three case studies and a third part with the conclusive reflections on the lessons learned about the methodology. The first part is divided in three chapters where I firstly make a general introduction to the context motivating this thesis, a second chapter in which I explain the MuSIASEM approach, the background theories and I justify why I have chosen this approach rather than others, and a third chapter where I develop the general theory and methodology to analyse rural systems tested in the second part. The second part of this dissertation contains the core of the applied research; the three case studies. The first application is a case study of rural Laos, where I develop a system of accounting capable of handling the quantitative information about the metabolic performance of typologies of farming systems across levels and scales based in the land use and GIS information. This quantitative method can scale-up and scale-down the characterization of elements defined on different hierarchical levels of organization, which can only be perceived and represented on non-equivalent descriptive domains. The second case study was undertaken in Guatemala and it included empirical field work. There, I established a procedure to generate geographic information at local level to be used for the metabolic analysis of the system, in order to later simulate scenarios taking into account geographic constraints. The third case study is more complex, it is an analysis of Mauritius Island integrating many dimensions and scales (energy, food, water, money, land use, human activity) and handling data through the use of GIS and remote sensing to simulate possible scenarios of development. The final part of the dissertation develops some reflections about the particular scope of this thesis (the use of GIS in MuSIASEM), and a last chapter of concluding theoretical remarks.
Multi-scale integrated analysis of rural Laos: Studying metabolic patterns of land uses across different levels and scales Journal Article
Serrano-Tovar, Tarik; Giampietro, Mario
In: Land Use Policy, 36 , pp. 155–170, 2014, ISSN: 02648377.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Integrated assessment, Land use analysis, Laos, Multi-scale analysis, MuSIASEM, Rural systems
@article{Serrano-Tovar2014,
title = {Multi-scale integrated analysis of rural Laos: Studying metabolic patterns of land uses across different levels and scales},
author = {Tarik Serrano-Tovar and Mario Giampietro},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0264837713001506},
doi = {10.1016/j.landusepol.2013.08.003},
issn = {02648377},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-01-01},
journal = {Land Use Policy},
volume = {36},
pages = {155--170},
abstract = {This paper presents an application of the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) approach to the analysis of rural land uses. Using secondary data on farming systems in Laos, we illustrate how the concept of metabolic pattern can be used to establish links between the various indicators of performance of rural systems. To this purpose, we characterize the socioeconomic activities in rural Laos by a series of quantitative indicators defined across: (i) different hierarchical levels of organization described at different scales (i.e. households, rural villages, administrative regions and the whole country) and (ii) different dimensions of analysis, including economic, agronomic, social, biophysical, and ecological analysis. The MuSIASEM approach simultaneously employs two non-equivalent criteria for quantification. The observed rural system is described in terms of an integrated set of flow elements (money, food, energy, water, fertilizer and other materials), which are mapped against two distinct fund elements: (i) a multi-level matrix of human activity (flows being expressed in terms of intensity per hour) and (ii) a multi-level matrix of land uses (flows being expressed as density per hectare). Our case study shows that in this way it is possible to move across different hierarchical levels, scales and dimensions, to arrive at an integrated representation of the metabolic pattern of farming systems. textcopyright 2013 Elsevier Ltd.},
keywords = {Integrated assessment, Land use analysis, Laos, Multi-scale analysis, MuSIASEM, Rural systems},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This paper presents an application of the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) approach to the analysis of rural land uses. Using secondary data on farming systems in Laos, we illustrate how the concept of metabolic pattern can be used to establish links between the various indicators of performance of rural systems. To this purpose, we characterize the socioeconomic activities in rural Laos by a series of quantitative indicators defined across: (i) different hierarchical levels of organization described at different scales (i.e. households, rural villages, administrative regions and the whole country) and (ii) different dimensions of analysis, including economic, agronomic, social, biophysical, and ecological analysis. The MuSIASEM approach simultaneously employs two non-equivalent criteria for quantification. The observed rural system is described in terms of an integrated set of flow elements (money, food, energy, water, fertilizer and other materials), which are mapped against two distinct fund elements: (i) a multi-level matrix of human activity (flows being expressed in terms of intensity per hour) and (ii) a multi-level matrix of land uses (flows being expressed as density per hectare). Our case study shows that in this way it is possible to move across different hierarchical levels, scales and dimensions, to arrive at an integrated representation of the metabolic pattern of farming systems. textcopyright 2013 Elsevier Ltd.
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