Social-Ecological Systems (SES) : From Risks and Insecurity to Viability and Resilience

This book contributes to the multidisciplinary debate about social–ecological systems (SES) within the perspective of rethinking the nature of interaction between these systems, especially in the Anthropocene Era. Most chapters either deliberate on risk dynamics threatening current SES or stimulate thought processes to manage such risks and related negative implications. After analyzing the main drivers of SES vulnerability, the book highlights the shifts to be made to enhance the sustainability and resilience of these systems, mainly the integration and restructuring of governance frameworks, the reorganization of production and consumption systems far from conventional models based on consumerism, the elaboration of mitigation, adaptation, and SDGs implementation measures from a co-benefit perspective, and the consideration of appropriate approaches and paradigms while elaborating and implementing response mechanisms. This volume is relevant to researchers/experts, students, practitioners, and decision-makers from different scales and spheres.

Mohamed Behnassi, Ph.D is Professor at the College of Law, Economics, and Social Sciences, Ibn Zohr University of Agadir, Morocco. He is a Senior Researcher of international law and politics of environment and human security. He holds a PhD in International Environmental Law and Governance (Hassan II University of Casablanca, 2003) and a Diploma in International Environmental Law and Diplomacy (University of Eastern Finland and UNEP, 2015). He is currently the Founding Director of the Center for Environment, Human Security and Governance (CERES) – Former North-South Center for Social Sciences (NRCS). From 2015 to 2018, he was the Director of the Research Laboratory for Territorial Governance, Human Security and Sustainability (LAGOS) in the same university. Recently, he was appointed as Expert Evaluator for the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST/Morocco), and selected as Expert by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MEDECC) to take part in global and regional assessments, respectively. Accordingly, he is among the Lead Authors who elaborate the 1st Assessment Report (MAR1): Climate and Environmental Change in the Mediterranean Basin - Current Situation and Risks for the Future (MEDECC, 2021). Dr. Behnassi has published considerable number of scientific papers and book chapters in addition to 15 books, including Human and Environmental Security in the Era of Global Risks (Springer, 2019); Climate Change, Food Security and Natural Resource Management: Perspectives from Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands (Springer, 2019); Environmental Change and Human Security in Africa and the Middle East (Springer, 2017). He organized as well many international conferences covering the above research areas and managed many research and expertise projects on behalf of various national and international organizations. Dr. Behnassi is regularly requested to provide scientific expertise nationally and internationally. Other professional activities include social compliance auditing and consultancy by monitoring human rights at work and the sustainability of the global supply chain.