101
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
P. Saundry, B. L. Ruddell (eds.), The Food-Energy-Water Nexus, AESS
Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies and Sciences Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29914-9_4
Chapter 4
Human Behavior and Adaptation
Mary Doidge, Elena Irwin, Nicole Sintov, and Robyn S. Wilson
4.1 Introduction
Human behavior plays an important role in food, energy, and water systems. The
complexity of these systems (see Chap. 2) means that studying components in isolation will not allow for a complete understanding of system dynamics, and will
potentially lead to solutions that omit important elements. The coupled nature of
FEW systems means the human and natural systems are linked such that human
behavior impacts natural processes, and the outcomes of these natural processes
influence human behavior. Effectively managing FEW systems requires understanding how humans behave and interact with their natural and social environments, as well as understanding the environmental impacts of social changes (e.g.,
population growth and urbanization).
M. Doidge (*)
Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University,
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
e-mail: mary.doidge@mcgill.ca
E. Irwin
Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, The Ohio State
University, Columbus, OH, USA
e-mail: irwin.78@osu.edu
N. Sintov ∙ R. S. Wilson
School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University,
Columbus, OH, USA
e-mail: sintov.2@osu.edu; Wilson.1376@osu.edu
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
P. Saundry, B. L. Ruddell (eds.), The Food-Energy-Water Nexus, AESS
Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies and Sciences Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29914-9_4
Chapter 4
Human Behavior and Adaptation
Mary Doidge, Elena Irwin, Nicole Sintov, and Robyn S. Wilson
4.1 Introduction
Human behavior plays an important role in food, energy, and water systems. The
complexity of these systems (see Chap. 2) means that studying components in isolation will not allow for a complete understanding of system dynamics, and will
potentially lead to solutions that omit important elements. The coupled nature of
FEW systems means the human and natural systems are linked such that human
behavior impacts natural processes, and the outcomes of these natural processes
influence human behavior. Effectively managing FEW systems requires understanding how humans behave and interact with their natural and social environments, as well as understanding the environmental impacts of social changes (e.g.,
population growth and urbanization).
M. Doidge (*)
Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University,
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
e-mail: mary.doidge@mcgill.ca
E. Irwin
Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, The Ohio State
University, Columbus, OH, USA
e-mail: irwin.78@osu.edu
N. Sintov ∙ R. S. Wilson
School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University,
Columbus, OH, USA
e-mail: sintov.2@osu.edu; Wilson.1376@osu.edu