Ecosystems and People (Dec 2023)
The Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society: an emergent community of practice
- Reinette (Oonsie) Biggs,
- Belinda Reyers,
- Ryan Blanchard,
- Hayley Clements,
- Jessica Cockburn,
- Graeme S. Cumming,
- Georgina Cundill,
- Alta de Vos,
- Luthando Dziba,
- Karen J. Esler,
- Christo Fabricius,
- Maike Hamann,
- Rebecka Henriksson,
- Karen Kotschy,
- Regina Lindborg,
- Linda Luvuno,
- Vanessa Masterson,
- Jeanne L. Nel,
- Patrick O’Farrell,
- Carolyn G. Palmer,
- Laura Pereira,
- Sharon Pollard,
- Rika Preiser,
- Dirk J. Roux,
- Robert J. Scholes,
- Odirilwe Selomane,
- Charlie Shackleton,
- Sheona Shackleton,
- Nadia Sitas,
- Jasper A. Slingsby,
- Marja Spierenburg,
- Maria Tengö
Affiliations
- Reinette (Oonsie) Biggs
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Belinda Reyers
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Ryan Blanchard
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Hayley Clements
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Jessica Cockburn
- Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
- Graeme S. Cumming
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- Georgina Cundill
- Climate Resilient Food Systems Division, International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada
- Alta de Vos
- Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
- Luthando Dziba
- Conservation Services, South African National Parks, Pretoria, South Africa
- Karen J. Esler
- Department of Conservation Ecology & Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Christo Fabricius
- Sustainability Research Unit, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
- Maike Hamann
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Rebecka Henriksson
- Centre for Water Resources Research, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Karen Kotschy
- Association for Water and Rural Development (AWARD), Hoedspruit, South Africa
- Regina Lindborg
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Linda Luvuno
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Vanessa Masterson
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Jeanne L. Nel
- Sustainability Research Unit, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
- Patrick O’Farrell
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- Carolyn G. Palmer
- Institute for Water Research, ARUA Water CoE, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
- Laura Pereira
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Sharon Pollard
- Association for Water and Rural Development (AWARD), Hoedspruit, South Africa
- Rika Preiser
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Dirk J. Roux
- Sustainability Research Unit, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
- Robert J. Scholes
- Global Change Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Odirilwe Selomane
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Charlie Shackleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
- Sheona Shackleton
- African Climate and Development Initiative, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- Nadia Sitas
- Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Jasper A. Slingsby
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- Marja Spierenburg
- Department of Anthropology and Development Sociology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Maria Tengö
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2022.2150317
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 19,
no. 1
Abstract
ABSTRACT Sustainability-focused research networks and communities of practice have emerged as a key response and strategy to build capacity and knowledge to support transformation towards more sustainable, just and equitable futures. This paper synthesises insights from the development of a community of practice on social-ecological systems (SES) research in southern Africa over the past decade, linked to the international Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS). This community consists of a network of researchers who carry out place-based SES research in the southern African region. They interact through various cross-cutting working groups and also host a variety of public colloquia and student and practitioner training events. Known as the Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society (SAPECS), its core objectives are to: (1) derive new approaches and empirical insights on SES dynamics in the southern African context; (2) have a tangible impact by mainstreaming knowledge into policy and practice; and (3) grow the community of practice engaged in SES research and governance, including researchers, students and practitioners. This paper reflects on experiences in building the SAPECS community, with the aim of supporting the development of similar networks elsewhere in the world, particularly in the Global South.
Keywords
- Elena Bennett
- SAPECS
- social-ecological systems
- transdisciplinarity
- sustainability science
- research network
