Sustainability Science and Practice

Sustainability Science at IIHS examines social, economic and bio-physical mechanisms and dimensions of coupled ecological and human systems to inform the well-being of both the society and ecosystem health in response to various global change drivers, including climate change. IIHS’ work on sustainability seeks to inform policy and practice at all scales from local to global, across diverse social-ecological systems and human settlements from semi-wild to mega cities.

Notably, IIHS has contributed to the development of SDG11 on Sustainable Cities and Aromar Revi is the Co-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).

Cities, urban areas, and human settlements concentrate people, activities, challenges, and opportunities for advancing towards the Sustainable Development Goals and responding to the threats and risks posed by the effects of climate and other global changes. There is an urgent need for transdisciplinary research and engagement that can inform the policies and solutions intended to facilitate the realisation of equitable and sustainable climate change.

Throughout the globe, cities will need to significantly alter their development trajectories, realign priorities, and broaden the scope of who gets to be involved in policy design. There are common and distinct challenges and opportunities confronted by cities and urban systems in the Global North and in those regions (Africa, Asia, Latin America) where urbanisation is still ongoing and cities are rapidly growing.

The IIHS School of Environment and Sustainability (SES)  is excited to kick off a research seminar series along with the Arizona State University (ASU) School of Sustainability (SOS), between September and November 2023. SOS (ASU) and SES (IIHS) will host a series of events during this time to connect faculty and students around common interests. These seminars will bring together experienced, as well as early career researchers and scholars to share emerging research and discuss questions on themes of sustainability, climate change and resilient urban development. 

The first seminar was led by the ASU faculty on Thursday, 28 September 2023.

The panel held conversations around:

Equitable, Sustainable and Climate Change Resilient Urban Development: Agglomeration Effects Facilitate Urban Adaptation to Climate Change

José Lobo, Faculty – School of Sustainability, College of Global Futures, Arizona State University. 

Water Sustainability Challenges in Megacities: Comparative Study of São Paulo and Delhi Using a Social-Ecological Systems Framework

Rimjhim Aggarwal, Professor – School of Sustainability at Arizona State University. 

Building Equity In: Orienting Climate Policy Research Towards Equity

Sonja Klinsky, Associate Professor – School of Sustainability, Arizona State University.  

Landscape Ecology and Landscape Sustainability Science

Jianguo Wu, Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Sustainability Science – School of Life Sciences & School of Sustainability, Arizona State University.