Reconciling well-being and resilience for sustainable development

Chaigneau, T. and Coulthard, S. and Daw, T.M. and Szaboova, L. and Camfield, L. and Chapin F.S., III and Gasper, D. and Gurney, G.G. and Hicks, C.C. and Ibrahim, M. and James, T. and Jones, L. and Matthews, N. and McQuistan, C. and Reyers, B. and Brown, K. (2022) Reconciling well-being and resilience for sustainable development. Nature Sustainability, 5 (4). pp. 287-293. ISSN 2398-9629

Text (Chaineau et al 2021 Nat Sust)
Chaineau_et_al_2021_Nat_Sust.pdf - Accepted Version
Download (16MB)

Abstract

Securing well-being and building resilience in response to shocks are often viewed as key goals of sustainable development. Here, we present an overview of the latest published evidence, as well as the consensus of a diverse group of scientists and practitioners drawn from a structured analytical review and deliberative workshop process. We argue that resilience and well-being are related in complex ways, but in their applications in practice they are often assumed to be synergistic. Although theoretically compatible, evidence we present here shows that they may in fact work against each other. This has important implications for policy.