Complexity and Its Implications for Society: Strategies for Management and Resilience

Complexity has become a defining feature of societal evolution, encompassing a range of domains from culture and environment to science and technology. As economies and societies prosper, complexity increases, evident in areas like the water-energy-food nexus and the impacts of natural phenomena, like floods, on human communities. In the face of such multifaceted challenges, the shift from analyzing isolated issues to understanding interconnected systems represents a critical evolution in human cognition. Nonetheless, the management of natural systems and their inherent unpredictability continues to pose significant challenges, compounded by the increasing volume of scientific literature which risks burying crucial insights under a mass of information.

This Research Topic aims to explore the challenges posed by complexity in contemporary societies and to illuminate core principles that can assist in its understanding and governance. The objective is to provide clear, actionable strategies that policymakers can employ to handle complexity effectively, thereby reducing its potential to the collapse of social structures—a notable issue historically linked to the mismanagement of the generated complexity (during growth period) inside them.

To gain deeper insights into the labyrinthine nature of complexity, this Research Topic encompasses, but is not limited to, the following themes:
- Probabilistic methods for dissecting complexity in environmental systems and the water-energy-food nexus, focusing on uncertainty and interdependencies.
- Analytical case studies or models that trace cascading effects within water-energy systems, urban infrastructures, or global resource networks, with implications for disaster risk reduction, resilience enhancement, or sustainable growth.
- Innovative strategies for integrating complex system dynamics into policy-making and societal management.
- Comparative analyses on the governance of complexity across different cultural and political contexts.
- Technological advancements and their role in simplifying the understanding and management of complex systems.
- The appearance of "Black Swans" in complex systems: predictability, management, absorption, or collapse

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Complex Systems Interconnected Systems Cascading Effects Systemic Risks Water-Energy-Food Nexus Complexity Management Socio-Technical Systems

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.