Abstract
A central theme of this book is the definition of potential failure pathways that can lead to socio-ecological system collapse and then the derivation of sustainability strategies to address these potential failure pathways so that a socio-ecological system has the capacity to manage system-threatening disturbances and maintain its structure and function, i.e. that the socio-ecological system is sustainable. The collapse of the Maya is of value to this theme because of the variety of theories that scholars have put forward for the reasons for the collapse based on the interaction between socio-economic and biophysical systems at several spatial scales as well as the significance of water management in the collapse.
Categories of failure pathways are distilled from these theories of collapse and then placed in the framework of nested adaptive systems . A framework for analysing the resilience of societal systems to major disturbances is then developed. Approaches to the development of sustainability strategies are described within the same framework based on the principles of ecosystem stewardship.
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Notes
- 1.
For example, “a lower degree of stratification and social differentiation” Tainter (1988), p. 4.
- 2.
Tainter considers a number of resource depletion explanations including deterioration due to human mismanagement, loss due to environmental fluctuation or climate shift, and, loss of trade networks for external resources and imported goods. Tainter (1988), pp. 44–51.
- 3.
Gunderson and Holling refer to “conservation” rather than “accumulation ”. Accumulation is considered to have wider application for dealing with both storage in systems for productive purposes and build-up of contaminants which can have adverse effects.
- 4.
The pathway numbers chosen to match the numbering of the four types of issues in Figure 4.6.
- 5.
As stated by Tainter: “After a certain point increased investments in complexity fail to yield proportionately increasing returns. Marginal returns decline and marginal costs rise. Complexity as a strategy becomes increasingly costly and yields decreasing marginal benefits” (Tainter 1988).
- 6.
Tainter’s other complex societies leading to competition between societies is a ‘cold war’ version of this pathway.
- 7.
This is consistent with Tainter’s two reasons for establishing complex societies: management of conflict, and, facilitation of integration.
- 8.
This is the outcome of the collapse of the Classic Maya.
- 9.
The release of seed source at the bioregion scale to facilitate revegetation at the watershed and land parcel scale as depicted in Fig. 4.4 is an example of a stabilising feedback loop.
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Jenkins, B.R. (2018). The Collapse of the Maya and the Development of a Sustainability Framework. In: Water Management in New Zealand's Canterbury Region. Global Issues in Water Policy, vol 19. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1213-0_4
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