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In this article, Edgar Morin and Claudio Pedretti revisit the concept of polycrisis, arguing that what Morin first introduced in 1999 as a warning has now become our lived reality: a convergence of ecological, political, economic, technological, and existential crises that reinforce one another in cascading, non-linear ways. They show how climate change, inequality, nationalism, […]
The Polycrisis Demands a Renewed Humanism Read More »
In this Phenomenal World analysis, Kate Mackenzie and Tim Sahay examine how climate-driven disasters are destabilizing the global insurance industry and, by extension, financial and housing markets. They warn of a looming “doom loop” in which rising floods, fires, and storms render properties uninsurable, leading to unmortgageable homes, collapsing housing markets, and systemic economic strain.
Insurance in the Polycrisis Read More »
In this article, the authors introduce a special issue of the International Journal of Disaster Risk Science dedicated to the study of polycrisis and systemic risk. Set against the backdrop of increasingly interconnected global disruptions, the issue critiques conventional, linear models of risk and advocates for integrative, inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to analysis, governance, and
Editorial Introduction to the Special Issue on Polycrisis and Systemic Risks Read More »
Michel Rauchs examines the interlinked environmental, economic, and social crises confronting contemporary society, arguing that these challenges constitute a broader metacrisis rooted in systemic flaws of our dominant institutions and growth-driven economic models. While traditional state and market responses have largely failed to address these issues holistically, Rauchs suggests that widespread disillusionment may signal a
We’re Surrounded by Crises. What’s Stopping Us from Acting? Read More »
The authors examine the concept of polycrisis, a term that has gained prominence for describing the interconnected nature of global challenges. Through a systematic review of 2,299 publications, the results indicate a common understanding of the polycrisis as multiple co-occurring, causally entangled crises with synergistic and cascading effects on multiple systems degrading humanity’s prospects. While
Characterizing the Global Polycrisis: A Systematic Review of Recent Literature Read More »
Renate E. Meyer examines the growing complexity of today’s wicked crises, which are interconnected, multi-scalar disruptions such as climate change, forced displacement, and cyber insecurity. These crises defy traditional models and demand collective action. Meyer identifies two interrelated forces that undermine this capacity: organizational fragmentation, which complicates governance and coordination; and societal fragmentation, marked by
Wicked Crises and the (In)capacity to Act Read More »
The author highlights the rise of polycrises, where interconnected challenges, such as the pandemic, climate change, wars, food insecurity, and inflation, mutually amplify one another. He argues that the traditional approach to risk assessment and management is insufficient to address the multiple facets of polycrisis and introduces a systemic risk framework to capture the systemic
New Challenge for Risk Governance: Polycrisis and Systemic Risk Read More »
The authors propose a conceptual framework for governing polycrisis and systemic risks through a bottom-up, community-based approach. They introduce the “risk governance triangle”, linking persistent disruptive stressors, risk-absorbing systems, and contextual modifiers, and structure these elements using the Pagoda model, which identifies five interrelated layers: natural conditions, institutional arrangements, technical and social infrastructure, the built
In this article, the author explores how disasters such as pandemics, wars, and climate-related events are becoming increasingly interconnected, marking a shift toward what researchers describe as a polycrisis. Drawing on insights from the study “Understanding Polycrisis: Definitions, Applications, and Responses,” the piece highlights how overlapping and cascading crises reveal the fragility of global systems
Understanding Polycrisis: Why Interconnected Disasters are the New Normal Read More »
This paper compares conceptualizations of the term “polycrisis,” raising questions about the key aspects of different definitions while stressing a convergence in critical features. It conceives a polycrisis as a state in which multiple, macroregional, ecologically embedded, and inexorably interconnected systems face high – and advancing – risk across socioeconomic, political, and other dimensions. After
Understanding Polycrisis: Definitions, Applications, and Responses Read More »
