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From Polycrisis to Polysolutions: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Complex Global Challenges

This PolyCIVIS Foundational Brief explores the complexities of the polycrisis, examining the human dimension and focusing on governance, economic systems, and public trust. It analyzes the politics of framing the polycrisis and how existing governance structures can inadvertently contribute to its intricacy. It emphasizes the need for long-term, systemic solutions over short-term measures and advocates […]

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Wicked Problems: The Book

The authors examine why the world’s most urgent problems remain unsolved, emphasizing their interconnected and self-perpetuating nature. Drawing on theories of systemic failure and cumulative causation, they show how global issues interlock in degenerative cycles that cannot be addressed in isolation. By mapping 162 global issues into seven overarching categories, the “Wicked 7,” they identify

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Humanitarian Aid in the Polycrisis: Local and Systems Thinking Approaches

This policy brief explores how the humanitarian sector must adapt to increasingly complex polycrisis . It presents key recommendations for reimagining humanitarian aid to prevent a slide into permacrisis, emphasizing the need to shift from reactive, centralized models to locally led, systems-based approaches. Central to this transformation is empowering local actors through meaningful leadership, dismantling

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Global Interconnectedness of Risks: A Worldwide Analysis

The author explores the interconnected global risk landscape, where various risks amplify one another, potentially causing cascading effects across regions and sectors. She examines the global relationship between different types of risks and analyzes the significance of the coefficients derived from collected time panel data. Key findings include the positive correlation between net user growth

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Planetary Boundaries, Polycrisis and Politics in the Anthropocene: Climate Pathways, Tipping Cascades and Transition to Sustainable Peace in Integrative Geography

This chapter explores the impacts of the “great acceleration” in human development and its impact on planetary boundaries and the polycrisis in the Anthropocene. Using an Integrative Geography perspective, it links human-nature relationships, growth limits, and global expansion to crises and geopolitical conflicts, highlighting interconnected risks. The chapter calls for sustainable peace by balancing human

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When the Polycrisis Hits the Omnishambles, What Comes Next?

In this article, Henry Farrell explores the collision between the polycrisis and the omnishambles, a term for political and bureaucratic dysfunction. Farrell argues that while government regulation traditionally acts as a stabilizing force against financial and systemic risks, the dismantling of administrative capacity under Trump’s second term risks amplifying instability instead of containing it. Drawing

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Leading Beyond Barriers: Creating Impact in an Age of Polycrisis

This paper examines the structural impediments to addressing systemic global challenges in a polycrisis environment. The analysis identifies two primary categories of barriers: belief systems that disconnect individuals from systemic issues, and social barriers that hinder collective action. Drawing on successful historical interventions—such as the eradication of smallpox and the elimination of polio—the authors outline

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The Polycrisis and the Uncertainty Possibility Space

The authors explore the polycrisis concept as the interaction of multiple global crises, arguing that focusing solely on causal links does not fully capture the politics of knowledge about the polycrisis. They highlight the challenge of managing deep scientific and political uncertainties in the Anthropocene and propose that the polycrisis research program adopts decision-making under

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Navigating Systemic Risks in Low-Carbon Energy Transitions in an Era of Global Polycrisis

The authors discuss factors influencing the stability and resilience of low-carbon energy transitions over extended time-frames, emphasising that while these transitions are essential for global sustainability, they are also vulnerable to systemic risks that could exacerbate the polycrisis. They highlight the importance of long-term strategic planning, interdisciplinary research, and inclusive decision-making to ensure that successful

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Capitalism, Complexity, and Polycrisis: Toward Neo-Gramscian Polycrisis Analysis

Michael J. Albert explores the debate on “polycrisis,” with proponents viewing crises as interconnected shocks, while Marxist critics argue that this obscures the capitalist roots by treating them as separate and loosely connected. He develops an approach combining Marxism, complexity theory, and neo-Gramscian political economy. Using the European Union’s ongoing polycrisis as an example, Albert

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