Exploring Dynamics and Interdependencies of Complex, Co-evolving Systems Through an Interdisciplinary Community of Practice

Abstract:

People depend on a complex web of infrastructure systems, natural resources, and favorable climate and environmental conditions to provide essential and desired goods and services. Equally central to these complex systems are human institutions, governance, individual preferences/perceptions, and interpersonal and organizational dynamics. Several recent initiatives have encouraged research in interconnected systems such as food-energy-water-land, largely through an integration of models of growing sophistication and scope. As a result, we now have more capabilities than ever before for scientific exploration of dynamics and interdependencies of complex, co-evolving systems that will provide insights into how to meet critical societal objectives such as reliability, resilience, sustainability, and equity. This presentation will describe ongoing efforts to establish the MultiSector Dynamics Community of Practice. The community is made up of researchers from many perspectives and institutions who are working collaboratively yet independently to study the co-evolutionary dynamics of complex resource, infrastructure, and socioeconomic systems. While still in its early stages, the community is exploring diverse strategies for balancing the needed complexity in model representations with how uncertainties shape our ability to make consequential insights. The community is establishing shared concepts and principles for its work and building on advances in computational sciences and other fields. It seeks to expand the range of infrastructure systems of focus while maintaining the ability to go in-depth to understand how single systems are influenced by their interdependencies. Moreover, there is an opportunity to better represent factors such institutions and values, including through integration of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The presentation will cover several use cases, detail emerging research questions and methods, and identify opportunities for collaboration.