Safe operating spaces for regional rural development - a new conceptual tool for evaluation complex socio-ecological system dynamics
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Southampton
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| John Alfred Dearing (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Dearing J
(2014)
Safe and just operating spaces for regional social-ecological systems
in Global Environmental Change
| Description | We have produced the first sets of regional data for ecological constraints (environmental ceilings) on using regulating ecosystem services. The constraints have been defined according to a newly developed set of criteria for analyzing the nonlinear properties of time-series e.g. accelerating trends, tipping points. Existing regional/national norms and available socio-economic data have been used to map the extent to which social needs are currently met (social foundation). Together the data provide a current appraisal of how far development still needs to go and the environmental constraints imposed on any proposed land use activities. |
| Exploitation Route | Once we have published the main publications we will present the Chinese case studies to development agencies (e.g. Oxfam/DfID) for feedback on how to include the information in regional policy making. There needs to be a full evaluation of the approach by users and stakeholders in other developing regions. The approach we have developed can be rolled out in other ESPA projects. The first attempt to do this will be the ESPA Deltas Consortium project in then coastal zone of Bangladesh. There are several 'next steps' that could be taken. (i) Using the safe and just operating spaces concept to calculate regional contributions to the size of safe operating spaces at the planetary scale; (ii) Developing new ways to understand and model the links between data/information for the environmental ceilings and social foundations. (iii) Using the current data as starting points for running systems models to examine the sustainability of alternative futures (over near future of 10-20 years or so). Essentially, the approach can be applied to any region with multi-decadal time-series for ecosystem services. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Communities and Social Services/Policy Energy Environment |
| URL | http://complexity.geodata.soton.ac.uk/ |
| Description | Wessex Water have sponsored (50% funding) a PhD studentship (to JA Dearing and D Sear 2014-2017) to apply the safe operating spaces concept to the management of nutrient loading in Poole Harbour. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic |
| Description | Review by Jigsaw evaluation company |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| URL | http://www.espa.ac.uk/news-events/espa-news/2016-05/77024 |
| Description | Complex social-ecological systems: linking theory and reality |
| Amount | £11,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2013 |
| End | 04/2013 |
| Description | International Planetary Boundaries Conference, Berlin, 24-25th April 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Invited keynote lecture in Workshop 3: Building on Experience: Lessons learned from initial operationalizations |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.pb-conference2017.de |
| Description | Safe operating spaces for regional rural development |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Oral presentation given at a public event to celebrate ESPA-UN Development Information Day, University of Southampton, 24 October 2012. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Setting up China Resilience Centre |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited to Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing to discuss the establishment of a new China Resilience Centre. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |