Quick Fixes for the Environment: Part of the Solution or Part of the Problem?

Sterner, Thomas; Troell, Max; Vincent, Jeffrey R.; Aniyar, Sara; Barrett, Scott; Brock, William A.; Carpenter, Stephen R.; Chopra, Kanchan; Ehrlich, Paul; Hoel, Michael; Levin, Simon A.; Mäler, Karl‐Göran; Norberg, Jon; Pihl, Leif; Söderqvist, Tore; Wilen, James E.; Xepapadeas, Anastasios

doi:10.3200/envt.48.10.20-27

Cited by 27 publications

(25 citation statements)

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“…The longer a community stays in a disturbed state after a disaster the more difficult recovery becomes, and eventually it may not be able to recover at all. Yet quick-fix responses may lead to superficial outcomes that are harmful in the long run [48]. Thus response strategies for disasters must also consider rebuilding of resilience against possible future disturbances.…”

Section: Fostering General Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

General Resilience to Cope with Extreme Events

et al. 2012

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Abstract:Resilience to specified kinds of disasters is an active area of research and practice. However, rare or unprecedented disturbances that are unusually intense or extensive require a more broad-spectrum type of resilience. General resilience is the capacity of social-ecological systems to adapt or transform in response to unfamiliar, unexpected and extreme shocks. Conditions that enable general resilience include diversity, modularity, openness, reserves, feedbacks, nestedness, monitoring, leadership, and trust. Processes for building general resilience are an emerging and crucially important area of research.

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Section: Fostering General Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

General Resilience to Cope with Extreme Events

et al. 2012

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“…Such reactive policies in post-disaster reconstruction have been seen in other areas to increase the longterm vulnerability of populations by failing to address the root causes of vulnerability (Ingram et al 2006). This tension between necessary short-term response and long-term development after disasters has been recognized elsewhere (Ingram et al 2006;Sterner et al 2006). In Montserrat, essential service facilities have been improved over time, although the perception of many sites as 'temporary' has led to difficulty in attracting funding to invest in their full development.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some adaptations are incidental and were developed in response to other pressures or needs (Sterner et al 2006). These adaptations were not created specifically to alleviate volcanic impacts, but do act to increase resilience in the volcanic context.…”

Section: Capacity Assessment Of Essential Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chapter 26 Consequences of long-term volcanic activity for essential services in Montserrat: challenges, adaptations and resilience

Sword-Daniels

Wilson

Sargeant

et al. 2014

Memoirs

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Long-term volcanic activity at Soufrière Hills Volcano (SHV), Montserrat (1995-ongoing) has created challenges for society and the resilience of the essential services (infrastructure) that support it. This paper explores the consequences, adaptations and resilience of essential services through interviews with their staff. We find that quick fixes for essential service reinstatement in the north of Montserrat have prevailed. Yet, the legacy of this approach inhibits functionality through inadequate facilities and the perception of sites as temporary, stalling investment. Emigration resulted in staff shortages, retraining requirements and challenges for the viability of specialist services. Low-impact hazards exacerbate shortcomings in essential services, causing power cuts, corrosion, and temporary closures of schools, clinics and the airport. Adaptations developed over time include changes to roofing materials, the addition of back-up systems, collaborative working and the development of contingency plans. Resilience of essential services has improved through decentralization, adaptations, and via strong community networks and tolerance of disruptions. Barriers to increasing resilience include the expense of some adaptations and the current reluctance to invest in essential services, hindering development. We offer some lessons for policy and practice to guide post-crisis redevelopment, through engagement with the community and by complementing community-level adaptations with investment to address long-term needs.

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“…While the time needed to assess the reliability of knowledge about past resource use by all of the parties and to contemplate alternative allocations of property rights and the need for additional investments in long-term resource management may be substantial (up to almost two decades in one of the cases discussed below), the outcomes are likely to be better than the "quick fixes" that are imposed on resource users who have continued to over-use a resource leading to administrative quick fixes to crises that past neglect has generated (Sterner, Troell, et al, 2006). …”

Section: Learning About Performance In Institutionally Diverse Settinmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In comparison with some of the "quick fixes" that are imposed on environmental problems that reach crisis proportions (Sterner, Troell et al, 2006), equity courts may be able to facilitate "creative fixes"…”

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confidence: 99%

Deliberation, Learning, and Institutional Change: The Use of Judicial Forums in Institutionally Diverse Settings

Blomquist

Остром

2007

SSRN Journal

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We live in an uncertain and ever changing world that is continually evolving in new and novel ways. Standard theories are of little help in this context. Attempting to understand economic, political, and social change (and one cannot grasp change in only one without the others) requires a fundamental recasting of the way we think… . If we can achieve an understanding of the underlying process of change, then we can develop somewhat more limited hypotheses about change that can enormously improve the usefulness of social science theory in confronting human problems.( North, 2005: vii) The Challenge of Changing InstitutionsMost of modern human life is spent within the structure of diverse institutional arrangements. We learn the "proper" rules of interactions with family members and friends as we are raised. Schools not only teach us history, mathematics, and grammar, they also provide instructions about many of the existing institutional structures that affect our lives. What must we do to complete a school year? What must we do if we are to graduate from high school?What must we do to get a drivers license? What must we do to gain admission to college?Learning the "rules of the game" is a major pre-occupation of all humans especially in their youth.Rules are, however, human inventions. Consequently, humans not only learn how to act within a set of established rules, but they also are engaged from time to time in changing rules within a nested set of other institutions that structure the process of changing rules at any particular level. Changing rules is, however, far more challenging than simply trying to do as

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Quick Fixes for the Environment: Part of the Solution or Part of the Problem?

Cited by 27 publications

References 10 publications

General Resilience to Cope with Extreme Events

General Resilience to Cope with Extreme Events

Chapter 26 Consequences of long-term volcanic activity for essential services in Montserrat: challenges, adaptations and resilience

Deliberation, Learning, and Institutional Change: The Use of Judicial Forums in Institutionally Diverse Settings

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