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The relationship between resilience and sustainability of ecological-economic systems

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  • Derissen, Sandra
  • Quaas, Martin F.
  • Baumgärtner, Stefan

Abstract

Resilience as a descriptive concept gives insight into the dynamic properties of an ecological-economic system. Sustainability as a normative concept captures basic ideas of intergenerational justice when human well-being depends on natural capital and services. Thus, resilience and sustainability are independent concepts. In this paper, we discuss the relationship between resilience and sustainability of ecological-economic systems. We use a simple dynamic model where two natural capital stocks provide ecosystem services that are complements for human well-being, to illustrate different possible cases of the relationship between resilience and sustainability, and to identify the conditions under which each of those will hold: a) resilience of the system is necessary, but not sufficient, for sustainability; b) resilience of the system is sufficient, but not necessary, for sustainability; c) resilience of the system is neither necessary nor sufficient for sustainability; and d) resilience is both necessary and sufficient for sustainability. We conclude that more criteria than just resilience have to be taken into account when designing policies for the sustainable development of ecological-economic systems, and, vice versa, the property of resilience should not be confused with the positive normative connotations of sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Derissen, Sandra & Quaas, Martin F. & Baumgärtner, Stefan, 2011. "The relationship between resilience and sustainability of ecological-economic systems," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(6), pages 1121-1128, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:70:y:2011:i:6:p:1121-1128
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sébastien Foudi, 2012. "Exploitation of soil biota ecosystem services in agriculture: a bioeconomic approach," Working Papers 2012-02, BC3.
    2. Fahimnia, Behnam & Jabbarzadeh, Armin, 2016. "Marrying supply chain sustainability and resilience: A match made in heaven," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 306-324.
    3. Sara Meerow & Joshua P. Newell, 2015. "Resilience and Complexity: A Bibliometric Review and Prospects for Industrial Ecology," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 19(2), pages 236-251, April.
    4. Tobon Orozco, David & Molina Guerra, Carlos & Vargas Cano, John Harvey, 2016. "Extent of Expected Pigouvian Taxes and Permits for Environmental Services in a General Equilibrium Model with a natural capital constraint," Borradores Departamento de Economía 015258, Universidad de Antioquia - CIE.
    5. Welschhoff, Jessica & Terstriep, Judith, 2017. "Wirtschaftsförderung neu denken: Partizipative Governance am Beispiel von Bottrop 2018+," Forschung Aktuell 07/2017, Institut Arbeit und Technik (IAT), Westfälische Hochschule, University of Applied Sciences.
    6. Ali Kharrazi & Brian D. Fath & Harald Katzmair, 2016. "Advancing Empirical Approaches to the Concept of Resilience: A Critical Examination of Panarchy, Ecological Information, and Statistical Evidence," Sustainability, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 8(9), pages 1-17, September.
    7. repec:eee:ecolec:v:137:y:2017:i:c:p:148-162 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Stelios Grafakos & Alberto Gianoli & Alexandra Tsatsou, 2016. "Towards the Development of an Integrated Sustainability and Resilience Benefits Assessment Framework of Urban Green Growth Interventions," Sustainability, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 8(5), pages 1-33, May.
    9. Finger, Robert & Buchmann, Nina, 2014. "An ecological economic assessment of risk reducing effects of species diversity in grassland production," 2014 International Congress, August 26-29, 2014, Ljubljana, Slovenia 182681, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    10. Mamouni Limnios, Elena Alexandra & Mazzarol, Tim & Ghadouani, Anas & Schilizzi, Steven G.M., 2014. "The Resilience Architecture Framework: Four organizational archetypes," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 104-116.
    11. Quaas, Martin F. & van Soest, Daan & Baumgärtner, Stefan, 2013. "Complementarity, impatience, and the resilience of natural-resource-dependent economies," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 15-32.
    12. Ignacio C. Fernández & David Manuel-Navarrete & Robinson Torres-Salinas, 2016. "Breaking Resilient Patterns of Inequality in Santiago de Chile: Challenges to Navigate towards a More Sustainable City," Sustainability, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 8(8), pages 1-19, August.
    13. Sonia Irshad Mari & Young Hae Lee & Muhammad Saad Memon, 2014. "Sustainable and Resilient Supply Chain Network Design under Disruption Risks," Sustainability, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 6(10), pages 1-21, September.
    14. Finger, Robert & Buchmann, Nina, 2015. "An ecological economic assessment of risk-reducing effects of species diversity in managed grasslands," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 89-97.
    15. Strunz, Sebastian, 2012. "Is conceptual vagueness an asset? Arguments from philosophy of science applied to the concept of resilience," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 112-118.
    16. Korhonen, Jouni & Snäkin, Juha-Pekka, 2015. "Quantifying the relationship of resilience and eco-efficiency in complex adaptive energy systems," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 83-92.
    17. Lázaro-Touza, Lara & Atkinson, Giles, 2013. "Nature, roads or hospitals? An empirical evaluation of ‘sustainable development preferences’," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 63-72.
    18. Mari, Sonia Irshad & Lee, Young Hae & Memon, Muhammad Saad & Cho, Su Yeon, 2014. "A Three-level Sustainable and Resilient Supply Chain Network Design under Disruption," MPRA Paper 58228, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. repec:kap:enreec:v:67:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s10640-015-9987-9 is not listed on IDEAS

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