La résilience perdue des pêcheries du Delta Central du Niger

Abstract

If resilience characterizes the ability to withstand disturbances, it is part of the dynamics of complex systems and, within it, a major component of survival and organization. The resilience of a biological, ecological or social system could thus characterize its ability to adapt to environmental disturbances by spontaneously changing. Yet, since a system also contributes to the characterization of its environment, how can it be defined, and, without giving in to obviousness and tautology, how can the changes which disturb a system be differentiated from those which leave it unaffected? It is thus better to consider the causes of disappearance of a proven resilience like that of Central Niger Delta fisheries. Some oddities of current discourse will be all the more obvious.

Keywords

• resilience
• complexity
• self-organization
• socio-ecological system
• international expertise