Essential services such as electricity are critical to human well-being and the functioning of modern society. These services are produced by complex adaptive socio-technical systems and emerge from the interplay of technical infrastructure with people and governing institutions. Ongoing global changes such as urbanization and increasing prevalence of extreme weather events are generating much interest in strategies for building the resilience of essential services. However, much of the emphasis has been on reliable and resilient technical infrastructure. This focus is insufficient; resilience also needs to be built into the human and institutional processes within which these technical systems are embedded. Here, we propose a conceptual framework, based on a complex adaptive systems perspective, that identifies four key domains that require investment to build the resilience of essential services. This framework addresses both the technical and social components of the socio-technical systems that underlie essential services and incorporates specified and general resilience considerations. The framework can be used to guide resilience assessments and to identify strategies for building resilience across different organizational levels.
Research news | 2019-02-21
Coral reefs face a new reality dominated by human impact and it is time for traditional coral reef ecological paradigms to follow suit
Research news | 2019-02-19
Better understanding of how organism traits in species communities change over time can prevent ecological collapse and improve ecological restoration
Research news | 2019-02-16
Centre partner in ambitious research to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between humans and their environment in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
Research news | 2019-02-15
Centre workshop presents multiple perspectives and discusses current concerns about the region. Watch videos here.
Research news | 2019-02-13
With a suite of benefits, participatory research has become increasingly popular. But there are many challenges too. Researchers examine the method and share their own experiences
Research news | 2019-02-13
Despite a variety of designs, the state plays a key role in all forms of policies around biodiversity offsetting