Monday, 21 September 2015

Complexity & Uncertainty in Mainstreaming Climate-Risk Resilience in Sustainable Development


Ethiopia’s demographic challenges augur on the poverty of its people that are chronically dependent on international charity and heavily reliant on primary production that is vulnerable to extreme fluctuations in weather. The population has tripled in four decades and it is continuing to grow fast - presenting an interdisciplinary challenge; where environmental impact studies shows that even using the "achievable optimum" model with all interventions, no improvement is observed in the population supporting capacity of communities in Ethiopia. Structural and policy impediments to develop and implement strategic land use plan and environmental policy of Ethiopia focused on social, political and bureaucratic hindrances to manage effective environment and population policies addressing uncertainty (lack of information, knowledge and predictability of courses of events) and complexity (systems components, differentiation and interdependence). Indubitably, population growth and climate change are critically linked. Mainstreaming demographic and environmental concerns in stemming global warming will augur on developing a working knowledge on demographic variables, population dynamics and environmental development.
Analyses and managing rational policies that have demographic impacts and the requisite social, cultural, political, spiritual and human capital and corporate social responsibility are required. The themes of the paper underpin a critique of the current policies affecting demographic dynamics and proposal for reform and strategic tools of implementation: options, scenarios and modalities for priming policy and strategic instruments for sustainable livelihoods. Policy dialogue on this timely and apposite issue will legitimately enhance the leadership capacity to effect change; however constrained by political doctrine, ideological leanings and agencies they derive their power from. They are expected to develop the capacity, through their statements and actions, to shape debate, dialogue and morality, to determine what is socially acceptable, culturally sound and politically uplifting.
Key words: Uncertainty, Complexity, Climate-Risk, Resilience, Forestry, Environment
See paper click here

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