Advancing transdisciplinary research on social-ecological system transformations in the Global South
Many science-policy assessments call for urgent transformations in multiple sectors and society to address the coupled climate and biodiversity crisis and associated deepening inequalities. While the need for transformation is clear, how to foster these transformations in ways that acknowledge diverse and plural values, knowledge types, and approaches to foster more just, interconnected and sustainable futures remains a key gap. This collection aims to address this gap by bringing together new knowledge, evidence, reflections and learning on the social dimensions of transformative processes within social-ecological systems research from post-colonial and global South contexts. The article collection offers varied contributions to research and praxis efforts towards sustainability transformations in complex social-ecological systems. These include a conceptual framework foregrounding key social transformative processes, innovative methodological approaches including the role of futures thinking for transformation, grounded case studies analysing transformation and reflections on governance transdisciplinary practice from research, policy and practice. Given the transdisciplinary nature of this research, issues of equity and empowerment feature strongly in this collection, as do approaches for advancing research to understand the role that learning, agency, structure and power play in transformation processes. What is clear from this collection is that there is an appetite for locally-led research-to-action coalitions that focus on addressing the root causes of coupled social and environmental crises and the need for more spaces, including journals to convene peer-peer learning opportunities on what tools, frameworks and approaches can be used to understand and amplify change. Photo credits to Jessica Cockburn.