A complexity approach to sustainability – Stafford Beer revisited

Espinosa, Ángela; Harnden, Roger; Walker, Jon

doi:10.1016/j.ejor.2007.03.023

Cited by 142 publications

(126 citation statements)

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“…The latter provides the basis for a new v www.esajournals.org interdisciplinary paradigm that integrates social, economic, and natural sectors within a water systems framework. The theoretical basis for our approach is rooted in the core sustainability questions and discussions of resilience, adaptability, and transformability presented by Kates et al (2001) and expanded by Walker et al (2004), and in the principles of complexity science applied to sustainability by Espinosa et al (2008). The conceptual framework is illustrated in Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water, climate, and social change in a fragile landscape

et al. 2013

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Abstract. We present here and in the companion papers an analysis of sustainability in the Middle Rio Grande region of the U.S.-Mexico border and propose an interdisciplinary research agenda focused on the coupled human and natural dimensions of water resources sustainability in the face of climate and social change in an international border region. Key threats to water sustainability in the Middle Rio Grande River region include: (1) increasing salinization of surface and ground water, (2) increasing water demand from a growing population in the El Paso/Ciudad Juarez area on top of an already high base demand from irrigated agriculture, (3) water quality impacts from agricultural, municipal, and industrial discharges to the river, (4) changing regional climate that portends increased frequency and intensity of droughts interspersed with more intensive rainfall and flooding events, and (5) disparate water planning and management systems between different states in the U.S. and between the U.S. and Mexico. In addition to these challenges, there is an increasing demand from a significant regional population who is (and has been historically) underserved in terms of access to affordable potable water. To address these challenges to water resources sustainability, we have focused on: (1) the determinants of resilience and transformability in an ecological/social setting on an international border and how they can be measured and predicted; and (2) the drivers of change . . . what are they (climate, social, etc.) and how are they impacting the coupled human and natural dimensions of water sustainability on the border? To tackle these challenges, we propose a research agenda based on a complex systems approach that focuses on the linkages and feedbacks of the natural, built/managed, and social dimensions of the surface and groundwater budget of the region. The approach that we propose incorporates elements of systems analysis, complexity science, and the use of modeling tools such as scenario planning and back-casting to link the quantitative with the qualitative. This approach is unique for our region, as are our bi-national focus and our conceptualization of ''water capital''. In particular, the concept of water capital provides the basis for a new interdisciplinary paradigm that integrates social, economic, and natural sectors within a systems framework in order to understand and characterize water resources sustainability. This proposed approach would not only provide a framework for water sustainability decision making for our bi-national region at the local, state, and federal levels, but could serve as a model for similar border regions and/or international rivers in arid and semi-arid regions in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water, climate, and social change in a fragile landscape

et al. 2013

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“…At the same time, different components need to continuously interact with each other, and with its neighbouring organisations (and other systems) in a dynamic balance. This interaction originates in the recursive nature of viable organisational systems (and other systems) (Beer, 1979;Espinosa et al, 2008;Espinosa and Walker, 2011). According to Beer (1979) all viable organisations are based on the same structural laws that determine recursiveness, which implies that all viable systems contain, and are contained in -replicable (the same type) of autonomous, adaptable, self-regulatory and self-organising systems.…”

Section: The Viable System Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cohesion and autonomy are the basis for viability, and they must be balanced (Beer, 1979;. The balance between cohesion and autonomy renders the VSM and the principles of viability (Table 2) particularly relevant for sustainable development through participative and democratic decision making and the design of self-governance mechanisms (Espinosa et al, 2008;Espinosa and Walker, 2011). Implementing a VSM within an organisation also means monitoring the relationships with the external environment with the aim at strengthening the ability of the organisation to constantly adapt to outside change in correlation to internal change, thus enhancing its viability.…”

Section: The Vsm Principles Of Viability For Developing Sustainable Omentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Those systems are linked with each other and constantly monitor and balance information flowing between each other (vertical links in the VSM) and the environment (horizontal links in the VSM) ( Figure 1) (Beer, 1979;Espinosa et al, 2008). The systems include (Beer, 1979;Schwaninger, 2001;Espinosa and Walker, 2011;Espinosa et al, 2015): -System 1 (S1): autonomous (to make local decisions on most issues) Operational Units (primary activities), each representing a VSM at the lower level of recursion; responsible for carrying out the operations necessary to implement the organisational purpose.…”

Section: The Viable System Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Applying OR to problem situations within community organisations: A case in a Danish non-profit, member-driven food cooperative

Tavella

Παπαδόπουλος

2017

European Journal of Operational Research

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“…Aside from different organisational fields, it has been used in contexts ranging from promoting efficiency in small organizations and communities to guiding major environmental policy at national and regional levels (cf. Espejo 1990 ;Espinosa et al 2008 ) .…”

Section: Viable Systems Model (Vsm) Authored By Patrick Hoverstadtmentioning

confidence: 99%