New paper
Introducing SocSES: A platform for impactful social-ecological research
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SocSES is a collaborative initiative led by the Resilience Alliance and the Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS), with engagement from networks such as the Global Resilience Partnership and the Transformations Community. Photo by Canva.
Over 40 researchers have come together to launch a vibrant new home for an expanding community of sustainability researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and students across the planet. The Society for Social-Ecological Systems, SocSES, is introduced in a new paper in the journal Ecology and Society.
SocSES is designed to be collaborative and inclusive at its core. It is not just for researchers – it’s for educators, practitioners, policy-makers, students, and institutions working to understand and transform how social and ecological systems interact.
“Its publication marks a watershed moment in the evolution of the field of social-ecological systems,” said Katrina Brown, Patricia Balvanera, and Craig R. Allen, Editors-in-Chief, Ecology and Society.
For the past three decades, social-ecological systems thinking has helped scientists, policy makers, and communities around the world navigate the complex relationships between nature and society. As the field has matured, so has the need for a shared space where collaboration, learning, and action can flourish.
“We see SocSES as a critical step in building and advancing linked social-ecological research and perspectives,” said Katrina Brown, Patricia Balvanera, and Craig R. Allen, Editors-in-Chief of Ecology and Society.
A community-driven platform
The new society aims to:
• Support knowledge sharing across cultures and disciplines
• Foster impactful transdisciplinary partnerships
• Provide training and education
• Contribute to global sustainability policy and assessment
• Champion inclusion, diversity, and equitable access
As the field’s network infrastructure has expanded beyond its original roots, SocSES offers the timely structure needed to connect efforts and align priorities.
A truly global vision
In the spirit of accessibility, the abstract of the editorial has been translated into 13 languages, with more encouraged. The accompanying SocSES website also features an interactive map showcasing SES-related organizations and training programs around the world, inviting global participation.
Get involved
The paper – “Welcome home! Introducing SocSES: A Society for Inclusive and Impactful Social-ecological Research” – is open-access and available here: Read the paper. Visit the SocSES website to explore translations, add your program to the global SES map, or get involved.
Read the paper here »
Welcome home! Introducing SocSES: a society for inclusive and impactful social-ecological research
Vos, A. de, Quinlan, A., Biggs, R., Bennett, E.M., Martín-López, B., Norström, A.V., Peterson, G.D., Schoon, M., Allen, C.R., Andersson, E., Baird, J., Balvanera, P., Berbés-Blázquez, M., Berkes, F., Calderon-Contreras, R., Carpenter, S.R., Castro, A.J., Cumming, G.S., Falardeau, M., Fick, W.L., Folke, C., Galang, E.I.N.E., Gelcich, S., Gordon, L.J., Grimm, N.B., Hamilton, J., Hodbod, J., Speranza, C.I., Koch, L., Kosanic, A., Lembi, R., Locatelli, B., Malmborg, K., Manyani, A., Mathisonslee, M., Ocampo-Melgar, A., Psiuk, K., Queiroz, C., Riechers, M., Schultz, L., Selomane, O., Sherren, K., Spierenburg, M., Trimble, M., Turkelboom, F. & Wallington, C. 2025. Welcome home! Introducing SocSES: a society for inclusive and impactful social-ecological research. Ecology and Society 30(2).
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