Vinicius Picanço Rodrigues, Michael Lawrence, Scott Janzwood
The Version of Record of this commentary was published in System Dynamics Review
The current state of the world is unquestionably precarious. The System Dynamics (SD) community has spent decades examining the complexity of global issues and responding to the ensuing risks—from the limits to growth and climate change to the opioid crises, poverty, and violent conflicts. However, today’s crises feel different. What has changed? The answer lies in the emergence of what scholars today call the polycrisis.
The resonance of polycrisis thinking with the SD community’s concerns is readily evident. To pursue these intersections would not just seize a promising opportunity, it is an urgent imperative that could help navigate the world’s precarious and unprecedented condition. To aid the collaboration, members of the polycrisis community set out a productive, practicable, and stimulating agenda for research and action in May 2024. Many of the priorities articulated in Polycrisis Research and Action Roadmap can and should be taken up by the SD community.
