The way in which knowledge about ‘nexus challenges’ is created and distributed is discussed in a new discussion paper by Andy Stirling, to inform a workshop on ‘Transdisciplinary Methods for developing Nexus Capabilities’ this week.
The workshop is organised by the ESRC-funded Nexus Network, an initiative which brings together researchers, policy makers, business leaders and civil society to explore connections in food, energy, water and the environment.
From the paper:
“It is not just the social and institutional contexts and alternative possible actions and policies that are inherently political. The ways in which the problems and possibilities are understood and appreciated can also be profoundly value-laden and pervaded by sectoral interests. So, entrenched power relations are not just obstacles to the material achievement of transformative change. They can also leave strong imprints in shaping policy knowledges about what these changes might even be” (p. 3).
A longer piece on the paper can be found on the Nexus Network’s website.
Related content