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the effects of these decisions on the broader food, energy, and water systems will also
differ. Both collective and individual decisions have implications for FEW systems.
As such, it is important to consider the different scales at which decision- making
takes place within these systems.
Communities are complex social systems, made up of individuals who may have
multiple motivations for their actions. Communities may also have common interests that differ from those of the individuals that make up the community. Systems
of governance often constrain the behavior of individuals within these groups and
also determine the actions that the community itself can take (e.g., the laws or policies that a government can enact).
Theories of community decision-making can be generally categorized into
those that assume that decisions are made pluralistically, with power and influence
diffuse across the community without a dominant actor, and those that assume that
decisions within communities are made by an elite group of individuals. Thus,
characteristics of individuals that determine their power, influence, and role in collective decision-making, and the structures of the networks in which individuals
are embedded, are key attributes for understanding organizational dynamics and
decision-making.
The impact a community has on its environment and the decisions it makes about
FEW system management are affected by several characteristics, including the
community’s population and its economic resources. Urban centers may have access
to more resources and therefore may be better able to protect themselves from climate hazards (Chap. 11), but high population densities may also make adaptation
more complex (Chap. 18). Rural areas may be more vulnerable to changes in FEW
systems due to their closer links to industries that rely on the natural resources (i.e.,
agriculture, timber, fishing, etc.), and they may be less able to invest in infrastructure and development.
Participation and involvement of the individuals within the community can also
impact its ability to respond to FEW system challenges. For example, communities
with higher levels of community participation were better able to put policies in
place to limit tree mortality (Flint & Haynes 2006). In contrast, absentee land
ownership has been shown to impact the ability of local governments to respond to
threats to forestland (Bailey & Majumdar 2014).
4.3.7 Temporal Scales
There is often a temporal mismatch between ecological and social responses to
changes in FEW systems. (See Sect. 12.3.1 for a more comprehensive discussion of
temporal scales of FEW systems and Case Study 1 in this chapter for a practical
application of differing temporal scales in FEW systems.) Information and resources
available to make decisions over the long term are limited, and there are often tradeoffs between short-term costs and long-term gains. Interventions by individuals and
M. Doidge et al.
the effects of these decisions on the broader food, energy, and water systems will also
differ. Both collective and individual decisions have implications for FEW systems.
As such, it is important to consider the different scales at which decision- making
takes place within these systems.
Communities are complex social systems, made up of individuals who may have
multiple motivations for their actions. Communities may also have common interests that differ from those of the individuals that make up the community. Systems
of governance often constrain the behavior of individuals within these groups and
also determine the actions that the community itself can take (e.g., the laws or policies that a government can enact).
Theories of community decision-making can be generally categorized into
those that assume that decisions are made pluralistically, with power and influence
diffuse across the community without a dominant actor, and those that assume that
decisions within communities are made by an elite group of individuals. Thus,
characteristics of individuals that determine their power, influence, and role in collective decision-making, and the structures of the networks in which individuals
are embedded, are key attributes for understanding organizational dynamics and
decision-making.
The impact a community has on its environment and the decisions it makes about
FEW system management are affected by several characteristics, including the
community’s population and its economic resources. Urban centers may have access
to more resources and therefore may be better able to protect themselves from climate hazards (Chap. 11), but high population densities may also make adaptation
more complex (Chap. 18). Rural areas may be more vulnerable to changes in FEW
systems due to their closer links to industries that rely on the natural resources (i.e.,
agriculture, timber, fishing, etc.), and they may be less able to invest in infrastructure and development.
Participation and involvement of the individuals within the community can also
impact its ability to respond to FEW system challenges. For example, communities
with higher levels of community participation were better able to put policies in
place to limit tree mortality (Flint & Haynes 2006). In contrast, absentee land
ownership has been shown to impact the ability of local governments to respond to
threats to forestland (Bailey & Majumdar 2014).
4.3.7 Temporal Scales
There is often a temporal mismatch between ecological and social responses to
changes in FEW systems. (See Sect. 12.3.1 for a more comprehensive discussion of
temporal scales of FEW systems and Case Study 1 in this chapter for a practical
application of differing temporal scales in FEW systems.) Information and resources
available to make decisions over the long term are limited, and there are often tradeoffs between short-term costs and long-term gains. Interventions by individuals and
M. Doidge et al.