Risk and Criticality: Trajectories of Regional Environmental Degradation

Abstract

This article discusses major findings from an international project exploring the causes and consequences of growing environmental risks over a 50-70 year period in nine regions distributed throughout the world. The project centered at Clark University in the US studied the regions of Amazonia the Eastern Sundaland region of southeast Asia the Ukambani region of southeastern Kenya the Nepal Middle Mountains the Ordos Plateau of China the Aral Sea the southern High Plains of the US the Mexico City Region and the North Sea. The researchers considered the notion of criticality and developing definitions and a classification of environmentally threatened regions. In addition the development of concepts and methods used in the study as well as crosscutting findings that emerged is discussed. The authors of this article argue that a growing disjuncture exists in the regions between the rapid rates of environmental degradation and the slow pace of societal response. Subsequently this situation threatens environmental impoverishment and loss of options for future generations and escalating costs of substitution in resource use and risk mitigation efforts.