Two perspectives – one goal: Resilience research in protected mountain regions

Abstract

Resilience at various levels of the social and environmental domains is a key aspect of sustainable development in mountain areas. However, resilience research is hampered by inconsistent definitions and conceptualizations of resilience. Using the examples of two research projects from protected mountain areas in different regions of the world (in the Austrian Alps and the Nepalese Himalayas), we illustrate two distinct perspectives on resilience: a system-based perspective and an agency-based one. We identify common characteristics of these views on resilience and apparent contradictions between them, and discuss how the two perspectives can be integrated to enhance understanding of resilience and to support sustainable development.