Is sustainable development a workable solution for today's environmental
problems? Is it scientifically defensible? Best known for applying
ecological theory to the engineering problems of everyday life, the late
scholar James J. Kay was a leader in the study of social and ecological
complexity and the thermodynamics of ecosystems. Drawing from his
immensely important work, as well as the research of his students and
colleagues, The Ecosystem Approach is a guide to the aspects of
complex systems theories relevant to social-ecological management.
Advancing a methodology that is rooted in good theory and practice, this
book features case studies conducted in the Arctic and Africa, in Canada
and Kathmandu, and in the Peruvian Amazon, Chesapeake Bay, and Chennai,
India. Applying a systems approach to concrete environmental issues,
this volume is geared toward scientists, engineers, and sustainable
development scholars and practitioners who are attuned to the ideas of
the Resilience Alliance-an international group of scientists who take a
more holistic view of ecology and environmental problem-solving.
Chapters cover the origins and rebirth of the ecosystem approach in
ecology; the bridging of science and values; the challenge of governance
in complex systems; systemic and participatory approaches to management;
and the place for cultural diversity in the quest for global
sustainability.