Dynamic Interlinkages between Social and Ecosystem Changes: Towards a Europe Africa Partnership
Europe-Africa Frontier Research Conference
Human wellbeing and the Earth system on which it depends are in transition involving complex dynamic interactions and feedbacks. Global changes include profound alterations of ecosystems and the services they provide to humanity. Drivers of environmental change are likely to intensify as human population grows and consumption expands. Some of the changes to the Earth system have improved access for millions of people to food, water, and other services satisfying basic human needs. On the other hand, unintended consequences from these changes threaten food security, energy security, human health, livelihoods and other aspects of our wellbeing. Deeper understanding and awareness of these changes and the underlying social-ecological systems’ interactions enhances our capacity for remedial and corrective action and offers hope of effective response. The challenge of sustainable development is to grasp this opportunity and transform social-ecological systems to provide food, water, energy, health and human security in a manner that is economically, ecologically and socially viable for people in all parts of the world in the current timeframe, and for many generations in the future.
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Conference flyer (PDF – 131 KB) Last updated 11-June-2010
