Resilience and Sustainability of Socio-Ecological Systems
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 21
Special Issue Editors
2. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingenieria, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogotá, Colombia
Interests: ecosystem services; economic valuation; ecology; sustainability; socioecological systems; sustainability index; resilience; resilience measures; sustainability indicators
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: ecosystem services; ecosystem services valuation; human development; sustainability development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: ecosystem services; ecosystem services valuation; human development; sustainability development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Resilience refers to the capacity of a system to persist after a shock and reorganize itself while maintaining its essential functions. Originally introduced to describe ecosystem dynamics, the concept has since been applied across diverse disciplines and research contexts.
In the expanding literature on resilience, two contrasting interpretations have emerged: The first, engineering resilience, emphasizes a system’s ability to return to equilibrium with minimal damage following a disturbance. The second, ecological resilience, focuses on the extent that a system can absorb perturbation without undergoing a fundamental change in its structure or function.
Over recent years, perceptions of resilience have evolved significantly, influencing a broad spectrum of academic fields. In response to this conceptual and methodological diversity, socio-ecological resilience (SER) assessment has gained prominence. This approach extends traditional resilience theory by evaluating the capacity of socio-ecological systems (SESs) to endure external shocks, emphasizing the interdependencies between ecological, economic, and socio-cultural dimensions.
Initially explored through qualitative and descriptive methods, SER is now increasingly assessed using quantitative approaches. These include expert evaluations, participatory surveys, and fuzzy logic models, supported by indicators that span ecological processes, economic activities, and social dynamics. Despite substantial research linking resilience to sustainability and human well-being, several areas remain underexplored, particularly regarding the practical application of resilience thinking in socio-environmental management.
This Special Issue, “Resilience and Sustainability of Socio-Ecological Systems”, seeks to gather original research and reviews that illuminate the relationships among conservation, ecosystem services, human well-being, sustainability efforts, and sustainable development through the lens of resilience.
We welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Characterization, measurement, modeling, mapping, and management of socio-ecological resilience from ecological, engineering, economic, and social perspectives.
- The integration of resilience with human well-being, sustainability, and sustainable development.
- Transdisciplinary approaches that bridge social and environmental sciences.
Understanding socio-ecological resilience as a multidimensional concept is essential for advancing both academic inquiry and policy development in sustainability management.
We look forward to your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Cesar Augusto Ruiz-Agudelo
Dr. Angela María Cortes-Gómez
Prof. Dr. Francisco De Paula Gutierrez Bonilla
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- resilience
- ecosystem resilience
- social resilience
- production systems
- socioecological systems
- socio-ecological systems resilience
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