Message from the Chair

PECS 2015 gathered scientists from various disciplines, from within and beyond the PECS network, who shared cutting-edge research insights on social-ecological dynamics in the Anthropocene. The conference engaged and involved multiple stakeholders concerned with sustainable development, interested in developing new solutions and strategies. The conference highlighted PECS achievements and ambitions, and synthesized and integrated PECS-related research which provided a basis for a future social-ecological research agenda, especially in light of Future Earth.

PECS 2015 was complemented by several side events such as topical workshops with regional focus and methods workshops. It included a science-policy-practice dialogue, which involved a total of around 100 participants, building on a South African series of workshops and the broader Future Earth project on “Seeds of the Good Anthropocene”. The conference was hosted by the Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society (SAPECS).

The conference format enabled vibrant conversations and ensured a maximum exposure to different perspectives, allowing for innovative ideas and new collaborations to emerge. It included both conventional and unconventional meeting features, which was tailored to the conference objectives, particularly the need for transdisciplinary dialogue across and beyond academic disciplines. This included short plenary talks, workshops, synergy/output sessions, traditional sessions, open-space (show and tell time), poster sessions and speed talk sessions. The design allowed for deeper conversations around participants’ areas of expertise.

The conference invited sessions and talks under these four overarching themes:
  1. Thresholds, traps and transformations in social-ecological systems.
  2. How governance and institutions affect social-ecological systems, including capacity for learning and transformations.
  3. Social-ecological dynamics of ecosystem services: synergies, trade-offs and links to human wellbeing.
  4. Cross-scale connections and feedbacks that impact structure and dynamics of social-ecological systems.

We would like to thank all involved for their participation.
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Hosted and
Sponsored by
Economic and in-kind support provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) through SwedBio at Stockholm Resilience Centre.