Workshop on resilience marker methodology

concept note and agenda

Background

Resilience means many things, but in the context of mountain lives and ecology it is the ability of the socio-ecological system to prepare for shocks (anticipate), recover from shocks (bounce back), and create a transformative change (bounce forward). However, establishing a resilience baseline and assessing resilient interventions continue to pose a huge challenge as there are constant interactions among the structural components of the mountain socio-ecological system, which determine a definite system behaviour in a given state/context. Such interactions are often non-linear processes with complex cause–effect relationships and feedback mechanisms influencing the system’s behaviour.

Therefore, to understand the resilience behaviour of the socio-ecological system, ICIMOD’s Resilient Mountain Solutions (RMS) Initiative together with the National University of Singapore has co-developed a methodology on resilience markers that focuses on the systems thinking approach. Systems thinking unpacks complex causalities and identify non-linear processes that are captured by structural components. This helps identify key influences on the system’s behaviour in a given state, which can be used to ensure its adaptability. Several illustrative case studies have been conducted in the last two years across the Hindu Kush Himalayan region using this methodology, and RMS partners from Bhutan, India, and Nepal are leading additional case studies in their respective countries from 2020 onwards.

About the workshop

The RMS Initiative is organizing a virtual workshop to acquaint its partners on the resilience marker methodology. The core team dedicated to resilience marker research from the College of Natural Resources (CNR) in Bhutan, the BAIF Development Research Foundation in India, and the Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (SIAS) in Nepal will participate. Both morning and afternoon sessions will be virtually conducted (via MS Team) in English language.

Objectives

This workshop primarily aims to develop partners’ capacity in applying the resilience marker methodology for selected case studies in Bhutan, India, and Nepal. The specific objectives are as follows:

• Provide stepwise understanding on the resilience marker methodology
• Introduce the VENSIM model (a free software) for socio-ecological system modelling
• Conduct a preliminary assessment of individual case studies led by the partners

Expected outcomes

• Improved understanding of the methodology and use of the VENSIM model
• Formulation of basic conceptual models for the case studies led by the partners