Integrating Social and Ecological Resilience Indicators for Small Island Communities

Some of the most intractable problems occur at the points of intersection between human communities and natural environments. While such problems demand an integrated approach, scientific studies of the environment and of human activities have largely been separated; a fact which has contributed to inadequate social and environmental policies. Conceptual frameworks like social-ecological models are valuable for putting the pieces together; these frameworks orient the multiple dimensions, levels, and causal pathways that are part of the broader context in which the problem has arisen. Likewise, concepts like resilience are able to extend between the social and the ecological in order to investigate critical social-environmental challenges, such as climate change, public health, and pollution. This presentation will explore the development and application of a comprehensive measure of social-ecological resilience that integrates 1) social (population diversity, type of governance), 2) ecological (spatial distribution of populations, control of waste), and 3) social-ecological interaction indicators (air/water quality, land cover change). The quantitative measurement model is applied using a social-ecological systems approach for understanding community resilience in small island states of the Caribbean and Pacific, though the model is intended for application in various geographic regions. Small island states are ideal settings for the initial testing of a measurement model of resilience because the social and ecological boundaries are explicitly defined and therefore quantifiable. Island states also face unique issues due to the intimate connection between the people and the environment. The model relies on secondary data obtained from a variety of publicly available data sources. Using theories and conceptual frameworks of complex systems, panarchy, human ecology, and social-ecological models, this work draws from disciplines as distinct as ecology, epidemiology, and sociology. While the current usage of resilience remains highly abstract, a well-developed conceptual framework and consistent set of empirical indicators would allow researchers and policy makers to evaluate a community’s potential to implement, adapt, and support change through recommended policies. These indicators would also assist decision makers in identifying factors that threaten community sustainability and stability. With an integrated understanding of societies and environments, better policy, governance, management, and science can emerge.