When feedback loops collide: A complex adaptive systems approach to modeling human and nature dynamics

Abstract

In the context of sustainable development, complex adaptive systems frameworks can help address the coupling of macro social, environmental and economic constraint and opportunity with individual agency. Using a simple evolutionary game approach, we fuse endogenously derived socio-economic system dynamics from human and nature dynamics (HANDY) theory with Prisoner’s Dilemma spatial intra-societal economic transactions. We then create a new human and nature dynamics agent based model to explore technological progression on population dynamics, economic development, social inequality and use of resources. We investigate the impact of technology proliferation on communications ease and the resulting compression of social space on individual wealth and societal sustainability. Our initial result shows complex adaptive or evolutionary systems approaches are necessary to understand both near and potentially catastrophic, far-from-equilibrium behavior and societal outcomes across all scales of human behavior and dynamics.