the environment, e.g. pollution or loss of fertile land by erosion by adaptation of land
management practices. Under this framework, scientists can design analytical tools
to study and to better understand the functioning of human-environment interactions
on different spatial and temporal scale levels. This is a prerequisite to define
trade-offs that are required to achieve a balance between the provision of biomass
resources for food and energy and the stabilization of other ecosystem services in the
long run (Foley et al. 2005) and to identify pathways to steer the system towards a
more sustainable development trajectory.
2 The Climate Change Challenge
Climate change is among the greatest challenges to humanity (Rockström et al.
2009). Human activity is the primary driver of climate change (IPCC 2014), via the
emission of greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels, the release of soil
carbon because of agriculture, the change of surface albedo due to land-use change
and other processes. At the same time, climate change and its manifestations,
particularly through rising temperatures, changing rainfall, sea-level rise and
increasing droughts and floods have the potential to adversely impact natural
ecosystems (such as forests, grasslands, rivers and oceans) and socio-economic
systems (such as food production, fisheries and coastal settlements). This is also
adding additional stress to ecosystems services, which form substantial source of
income in particular to the rural poor in many world regions (Milder et al. 2010).
Therefore, climate change is most immediately and inextricably linked to
well-being, development and economic growth which are in the ambit of the 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that address the root causes of poverty and
the universal need for sustainable development that works for all people (UN 2015).
In particular SDG 2 “Zero hunger”, SDG 3 “Good Health and Well-being” as well
as the SDGs 14 “Life on land” and SDG 15 “Life in Water” are directly affected by
negative consequences of climate change.
At the Conference of the Parties (COP) 21 of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it was noted that the chief bearers and
victims of climate change are vulnerable groups in developing countries, particularly those whose livelihood is dependent on land use. Therefore, solving the
climate dilemma through is an ethical concern for science and societies. Combating
climate change and its impacts as defined by SDG 13 requires the implementation
of mitigation and adaptation strategies. While mitigation mainly aims at reducing
the emissions of greenhouse gases in order to lower the intensity of climate change,
adaptation includes actions that help societies to cope with negative climate
impacts. Both approaches are directly related to the different components of the
human-environment system. To give an example, the changing climate might have
negative effects of the provision of ecosystem services such as food production
which in turn triggers actions in the human sub-system, e.g. to adapt agricultural
Climate Change Challenge (3C) and Social-Economic-Ecological …
3
management practices. Under this framework, scientists can design analytical tools
to study and to better understand the functioning of human-environment interactions
on different spatial and temporal scale levels. This is a prerequisite to define
trade-offs that are required to achieve a balance between the provision of biomass
resources for food and energy and the stabilization of other ecosystem services in the
long run (Foley et al. 2005) and to identify pathways to steer the system towards a
more sustainable development trajectory.
2 The Climate Change Challenge
Climate change is among the greatest challenges to humanity (Rockström et al.
2009). Human activity is the primary driver of climate change (IPCC 2014), via the
emission of greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels, the release of soil
carbon because of agriculture, the change of surface albedo due to land-use change
and other processes. At the same time, climate change and its manifestations,
particularly through rising temperatures, changing rainfall, sea-level rise and
increasing droughts and floods have the potential to adversely impact natural
ecosystems (such as forests, grasslands, rivers and oceans) and socio-economic
systems (such as food production, fisheries and coastal settlements). This is also
adding additional stress to ecosystems services, which form substantial source of
income in particular to the rural poor in many world regions (Milder et al. 2010).
Therefore, climate change is most immediately and inextricably linked to
well-being, development and economic growth which are in the ambit of the 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that address the root causes of poverty and
the universal need for sustainable development that works for all people (UN 2015).
In particular SDG 2 “Zero hunger”, SDG 3 “Good Health and Well-being” as well
as the SDGs 14 “Life on land” and SDG 15 “Life in Water” are directly affected by
negative consequences of climate change.
At the Conference of the Parties (COP) 21 of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it was noted that the chief bearers and
victims of climate change are vulnerable groups in developing countries, particularly those whose livelihood is dependent on land use. Therefore, solving the
climate dilemma through is an ethical concern for science and societies. Combating
climate change and its impacts as defined by SDG 13 requires the implementation
of mitigation and adaptation strategies. While mitigation mainly aims at reducing
the emissions of greenhouse gases in order to lower the intensity of climate change,
adaptation includes actions that help societies to cope with negative climate
impacts. Both approaches are directly related to the different components of the
human-environment system. To give an example, the changing climate might have
negative effects of the provision of ecosystem services such as food production
which in turn triggers actions in the human sub-system, e.g. to adapt agricultural
Climate Change Challenge (3C) and Social-Economic-Ecological …
3