Scenarios for sustainable marine futures
This body of research spans the last two decades and has involved working with stakeholders (industry, NGOs, management agencies, other interested groups, including in some instances general community members) to define scenarios for potential future management and development options in the marine environment, and then exploring those scenarios with models.
The work has aimed to find sustainable solutions for the marine environment, industry and government that address the triple bottom line, in that they are ecologically, economically and socially sustainable. This has involved a high degree of facilitation, communication and synthesis: asking questions, making connections, synthesising information to create models, helping people understand how models reach particular outcomes, what the implications are, and where the uncertainties lie.
The transdisciplinary nature of this work is characterised by participatory approaches and knowledge co-production, as well as the integration of research and policy-making. It brings together multiple disciplines and forms of knowledge to build capacity for addressing complex, multi-scale, system-level problems.
Outcomes
This work has helped support the uptake of information into decision making and policy, including informing the restructure of Australian federal fisheries management, as well as in the context of coastal zone development. It has also fostered the development of a global community of people working on related questions using similar and evolving approaches.
Key success factors
- Flexibility and respect (within teams and with stakeholder interactions)
- Diverse approaches to communication (animation, visual approaches, stories)
- Engagement with knowledge brokers
Key contact
More information
A multi-model approach to engaging stakeholder and modellers in complex environmental problems