Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: Identifying and analyzing inter-systemic cascades

This project aims to improve our understanding of the impacts of COVID-19 and its related impact on economic, food, and energy systems. While conventional attempts to understand these trends and help decision makers prepare for possible shocks tend to fixate on individual systems, this project investigates the complex interactions between these systems and the possibility of “inter-systemic cascades” where a shock in one system triggers cascading effects across others. Using research methods and system mapping tools specifically designed to analyze these inter-systemic effects, researchers will produce Briefings on possible inter-systemic trends that may unfold in the coming months and will identify opportunities for policy makers and corporate/community leaders to steer stimulus spending and other investments towards activities that have the potential to grow sustainably and resiliently over the coming decade.

Faculty Supervisor:

Thomas Homer-Dixon;Thomas Homer-Dixon

Student:

Scott Janzwood;Michael Lawrence;Yonatan Strauch;Jinelle Piereder

Partner:

Waterloo Global Science Initiative

Discipline:

Environmental sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Program: