Workers harvesting bananas for export to the Chinese market, Luang Namtha Province, Laos, February 2018. Photo: Cecilie Friis
Workers harvesting bananas for export to the Chinese market, Luang Namtha Province, Laos, February 2018. Photo: Cecilie Friis

Telecoupling Research Towards Sustainable Transformation of Land Systems

Short Description

The telecoupling concept has been proposed to describe socio-economic and environmental interactions, flows and feedbacks over distance and across scales that cause change in otherwise separated land systems. As an analytical framework, the telecoupling framework brings together a systemic perspective on land-use change with flow- and network-oriented analytical approaches. As such, it is a clear and concrete response to the scientific and applied need for interdisciplinary exchange to tackle the challenges of global interconnectivity and (un)sustainability in land-use change.

Yet, while methodological and conceptual advancements have been made, and an emerging body of empirical studies is examining telecoupling in land-use systems, more collaboratory research is urgently needed in order to 1) foster a better understanding of how global interconnectivity influences land-use change in particular places and at particular moments in time; 2) capture and account for distant, unexpected feedbacks and spillovers that challenge social and environmental sustainability and 3) enhance evidence-based decision- and policy-making through transformative land governance initiatives for the sustainable management of land.

Goals and Objectives

The specific objectives of this Working Group are:

  1. Provide a platform for the diverse group of Land System Scientists working on telecoupling related questions to foster better interdisciplinary exchange and the consolidation of knowledge on methodological, conceptual and empirical issues related to telecoupling of land use systems.
  2. Advance the understanding of challenges and opportunities presented by telecoupling to sustainable land-use change
  3. Identify potential best practices and methodologies for designing transformative interventions into telecoupled land use systems that fosters sustainable development.
  4. Bringing together early and advanced-stage researchers
  5. Communicating telecoupling research activities and advances to non-academic stakeholders

GLP Themes: Telecoupling of land use systems, Land governance

 

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Blog

Land systems’ insights from the pandemic and lock down

The organizers and several participants of a recent Working Group Meet & Greet put together this blog post summarizing the discussions held during the event. Although it will take time to make sense of the myriad changes the COVID-19 pandemic has brought and continues to bring into their lives as scientists, and into the socio-ecological land systems that they study, they identified several likely patterns of long-term change.   Read full post

Related Information

Jobs

October 25, 2021

PhD or MS Assistantship in Coupled Human-Natural Systems

Michigan State University

Apply By: 

Monday, November 15, 2021

A graduate assistantship is available for a self-motivated student to pursue PhD or MS degree and conduct innovative and high-impact research in the Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability (CSIS) at Michigan State University (MSU). Deadline: 15 November

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Jobs

October 25, 2021

PhD Assistantship in Telecoupling

Michigan State University

Apply By: 

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

A PhD research assistantship is available for a self-motivated student to pursue a PhD degree and conduct innovative and high-impact research in the Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability (CSIS) at Michigan State University. Deadline: 1 December

Read more

News

October 25, 2021

Liu recognized with two major international awards for telecoupling work

Michigan State University’s Jianguo “Jack” Liu was honored this month with the Gunnerus Award in Sustainability Science – the first major international prize for outstanding scientific work that promotes sustainable development globally. It followed on his September receipt of the World Sustainability Award for his leadership in integrating the needs of both humans and nature and succeeding in having the work translated into policy and practice.

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