Wang Xinhao

Keywords： Precautionary Principle; Uncertainty; Resilience; Ecological Wisdom; Change

Abstract：

The socio-ecological practice research aims at supporting practices related to sustainable development of human society, including policy and regulation development. The socio-ecological system in which human beings live is a complex system with many uncertainties. When people intentionally make changes to improve their living condition, some unintended changes may occur, such as the increase of crimes and the increased exposure to natural disasters. Disasters happen when some changes severally threaten people’s lives, properties, or routine activities. Along with the industrialization and urbanization progress more people are concentrated in urban areas. Since the 1970s many scholars and policy makers have promoted the precautionary principle as the basis for public policy development, in response to the increasing problems associated with population growth and environmental degradation. While the precautionary principle has been widely adopted by various governments and international organizations, it is always associated with debates about its value in decision-making. A review of the debates reveals that the core of difference is not on the value the precautionary principle stands for. Rather, people debate the implementation of the

precautionary principle. Some of the debates have revealed the misuse of the principle and the need for clarification and specification. Other differences of opinions can be attributed to the uncertainties of the future since neither the proponents nor the opponents of the principle can be certain about the outcome of a proposed action. Therefore, how to make decisions in the face of this “wicked problem” of decision-making without precise scientific proof? The recent progress of ecological wisdom and resilience thinking have the potential to provide a fresh perspective for applying the precautionary principle in socio-ecological practice. Ecological wisdom requires all involved stakeholders integrate scientific knowledge, local knowledge, experience, and ethical values in developing the humanenvironment harmonious socio-ecological system. Resilience thinking urges us to pay attentions to other system characteristics besides development, to recognize that disasters will happen and we can never be sure about their nature such as time, location, scale, and frequency. Therefore the socio-ecological system must develop the capacity to respond to disasters and sustain the system functions. Many of the debates about the precautionary principle are due to the separation of pursuing benefits and avoiding problems. The aim of this paper is to remove this separation through the integration of ecological wisdom and resilience thinking. Facing the uncertain future, everyone has the same obligation in making decisions to sustain the harmonious human-environment relationship, that is, to properly apply the precautionary principle to improve the quality and resilience of the socio-ecology system.

Funds：

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