ANNUAL REPORT 2013
SARAS INSTITUTE
Ruta 10 km 86, Parada 21 al fondo Bella Vista, Maldonado - Uruguay Email: info@saras-institute.org Website: www.saras-insitute.org
ANNUAL REPORT
Institute & Foundation
The SARAS² Institute is a joint initiative of Wageningen University (Netherlands), the University of Uruguay Republic (UdelaR, Uruguay), the Resilience Alliance, the Education and Culture Ministry of Uruguay (Uruguay), and the Maldonado Department(Uruguay).
Through the advisory board the Institute has strong linkages with: the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics (Sweden), the Stockholm Resilience Center (Sweden), the University of Wisconsin (USA), Arizona State University (USA), the University of Waterloo (Canada), the Catholic University of Chile (CASEB, Chile), the Patagonic National Center CONICET (Argentina), the University of Brasilia (Brazil), and the Doñana Biological Station-CSIC (Spain).
SARAS² Institute original idea emerged
Gregory Randall and Omar Macadar
in Holland, a summer day of 2005.
to engage into a collaborative process
At that time, the Institute’s goals and
from the very beginning.
preliminary structure were conceived and discussed by Marten Scheffer and
During 2008 and 2009 the Institute
Néstor Mazzeo.
entered into academic life through the writing of scientific papers
In January 2006 the first document
and research projects, which
about mission, goals and structure
were submitted to national and
of the Institute was written with the
international funding agencies. Some
aid of Ruben Budelli. At this time, a
approved projects enabled the
meeting with Oscar de los Santos
institute to put in place a Conference
– Major of Maldonado – helped to
Cycle on relevant environmental
explore the feasibility of establishing
topics for Latin America, held on a
the Institute at Maldonado County.
yearly basis. This set of conferences
The proposal was very well received
started in 2010 and have continued
by local authorities and immediately
since then: the first symposium in
a group was conformed (Jorge
2010 was on Sustainable Futures for
Hourcade, Ruben Budelli, Gabriel
Hydric Resources in Latin America.
Aintablian, Hugo Fort and Néstor Mazzeo) to find the most appropriate
In 2009 SARAS² received a substantial
place to locate SARAS².
financial support from the UdelaR, the Ministry of Education and Culture
Since the summer of 2007, the SARAS²
and, in 2011 also from the Maldonado
Advisory Board has been meeting in
Department. These contributions have
Uruguay on a regular basis, to discuss
been fundamental, and allowed to
the strategy, agenda, goals and
incorporate two members to the local
actions. Simultaneously, the working
team: Mariana Meerhoff and Nicolás
team (Ruben Budelli, Hugo Fort,
Marchand.
Gabriel Aintablian and Néstor Mazzeo) contacted local authorities in the area
Since 2009 several advances have
of Science, Culture and Education:
been made to consolidate the
María Simón, Rodrigo Arocena,
Institute facilities building process and
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the landscaping in the surrounding
The Executive Committee is integrated
area, as part of a joint effort with the
by: Marten Scheffer, Osvaldo Sala,
Architectural General Directorate
Isabel Bortagaray, Ana Dubra, Néstor
of UdelaR (Alvaro Cayón, Gonzalo
Mazzeo, Mariana Meerhoff, Cecilia
Lorenzo, Mariana Frances & Pedro
Delgado, William Rodríguez, Mariella
Berger) and the contribution of Amalia
Busnadiego and Andrés Richero.
Robledo, María Puppo and Carla Bruzzone on the landscape design.
The Administrative Board of the SARAS² Foundation involves: Néstor
As of July 2013, SARAS² turned into a
Mazzeo (UdelaR representative), Omar
Foundation, a milestone in the history
Defeo (UdelaR representative), Osvaldo
of the Institute. Currently, the financial
Sala (Advisory Board representative),
support mainly originates from the
Mariana Meerhoff (Advisory Board
Ministry of Education and Culture
representative), Ricardo Pereira
of Uruguay, the UdelaR and the
(Maldonado representative), Virginia
Maldonado Department.
Fernández (MEC representative) and Matías Arim (Scientific members
The advisory board is integrated by:
representative).
Marten Scheffer, Jordi Bascompte, Laurie Beth Clark, Steve Carpenter,
Finally, the Fiscal Board of the SARAS²
Omar Defeo, Carl Folke, Pablo
Foundation involves: Lujan Criado
Marquet, Osvaldo Sala, Ana Parma,
(UdelaR representative), Gustavo
Eduardo Viola, and Frances Westley.
Morales (Udelar representative) and Julio Riella (Maldonado government representative).
Scientific activities For the last four years there has been a round of four symposia.
2010 2011 2012 2013
Continental aquatic resources Artisanal fisheries Transitions in terrestrial ecosystems Education for uncertainty
In the context of a series of thematic years triggered by the UdelaR (Espacio Interdisciplinario Program), the thematic year 2013 was connected to SARAS² and was about the emerging properties of the interactions between social and ecological systems.
ANNUAL REPORT
Networks SARAS can be considered a net of networks. The networks are organized about specific topics independently of the disciplinary background of the researchers.
Early warning signals
Current and future climate
Adaptive management of the
variability and the relationship with
Laguna del Sauce (Maldonado-
the Uruguayan productive sectors
Uruguay) basin
This network is aimed at developing
This network is oriented to analyze
methods and frameworks to identify
the current and future scenario of
The goal of this network is to
early warning signals that could
climate variability and the relationship
develop and promote a set of
anticipate radical changes or critical
with the key productive sectors of
adaptive strategies that enable the
transitions.
Uruguay.
sustainability of the critical ecosystem services for the human wellbeing.
Scientific papers 2009
2012
2012
Early-warning signals for critical
Environmental warming in shallow
Biomanipulation as a restoration
transitions.
lakes: a review of potential
tool to combat eutrophication:
Nature 416(3)53-59.
changes in community structure
recent advances and future
as evidenced from space-for-time
challenges.
Marten Scheffer, Jordi Bascompte, William A.
substitution approaches.
Advances in Ecological Research
Brock, Victor Brovkin, Stephen R. Carpenter,
Advances in Ecological Research
47: 411-488.
Vasilis Dakos, Hermann Held, Egbert H. van
46: 259-349.
Nes, Max Rietkerk & George Sugihara.
Erik Jeppesen, Martin Søndergaard, Mariana Meerhoff, Franco Teixeira-de Mello,
Torben L. Lauridsen, Thomas A. Davidson,
2012
Carla Kruk, Cecilia Alonso, Iván González-
Zhengwen Liu, Néstor Mazzeo, Carolina
Anticipating Critical Transitions.
Bergonzoni, Juan Pablo Pacheco, Gissell
Trochine, Korhan Özkan, Henning S. Jensen,
Science 338: 344:348.
Lacerot, Matías Arim, Meryem Beklioğlu,
Dennis Trolle, Fernando Starling, Xavier
Sandra Brucet, Guillermo Goyenola, Carlos
Lazzaro, Liselotte S. Johansson, Rikke
Marten Scheffer, Stephen R.
Iglesias, Néstor Mazzeo, Sarian Kosten &
Bjerring, Lone Liboriussen, Søren E. Larsen,
Carpenter,Timothy M. Lenton, Jordi
Erik Jeppesen.
Frank Landkildehus, Sara Egemose, &
Bascompte, William Brock, Vasilis Dakos,
Mariana Meerhoff.
Johan van de Koppel, Ingrid A. van de Leemput, Simon A. Levin, Egbert H. van Nes, Mercedes Pascual & John Vandermeer.
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SARAS INSTITUTE
Training programs and postgraduate Postgraduate courses Water-city. Postgraduate course about
Technology Transfer Center Climate Change and Decision Making, UNESCO-AVINA
urban planning and conservation of crucial aquatic ecosystem services.
In October 2013, the Climate Change
2012-2014. Coordinate by Arq.
and Decision Making Regional Center
Adriana Piperno and Dr. Néstor
was launched. The center was created
Mazzeo.
by UNESCO, the AVINA Foundation and a network of universities and
Synthetic networks. The integrated
institutions of the South America
management of the basin through
countries. Its main objective is to
synthetic fluvial networks. 2013. Prof.
integrate the complexity, risks and
Dr. Jose Barquín, Cantabria University,
opportunities of climate change in
Spain. The course is oriented to
the decision-making processes of
analyze the current state of the art
public and private sectors in the
in terms of management, planning,
region. In this context, it will promote
conservation and restoration of fluvial
opportunities for exchange and
ecosystems.
discussion among leaders from
PhD thesis
various sectors who will share their experience, making the link with international leaders at the highest
Rafael Bernardi. 2012-2015.
level of the scientific, political and
Grassland-forest transitions in
entrepreneur and exchange learning
subtropical South America. Supervised
experiences in order to integrate
by: Dr. Milena Holmgren, Dr. Marten
climate change challenges in the
Scheffer and Dr. Matías Arim.
daily management of their strategies
Postdocs
and institutions. SARAS² was actively involved in the launching of the center.
Carolina Crisci. 2012-2013. Implications of climatic variability on water quality of Laguna del Sauce. Supervised by: Dr. Rafael Terra & Dr. Néstor Mazzeo.
ANNUAL REPORT
Outreach The SARAS² Institute is frequently asked to participate in the study of relevant issues related to socioecological systems management, which is particularly conspicuous in Uruguay (at local and national levels). Some of the researches had been selected because they are representative of Institute’s main research topics.
In the last few years a comprehensive
Currently, members of the Institute
study of problems related to drinking
are working on Agriculture Adaptation
water supply, the management of
to Climatic Change (supported by
this resource and the land use took
MGAP-FAO) in conjunction with
place at Laguna del Sauce and the
scientists from CURE-UdelaR (Hugo
watershed associated. The main
Inda, Laura del Puerto, Carolina
results of this project were exposed
Crisci), the Engineering Faculty-UdelaR
last year and can be accessed in pdf in
(Rafael Terra), Meteorological National
the following link:
Division (Mario Bidegain) and the Humanities and Education SciencesUdelaR (Javier Taks). The main contribution can be download from:
http://saras-institute.org/publications/
http://issuu.com/institutosaras/docs/fao
laguna-del-sauce/
Publications Mario Bidegain, Carolina Crisci, Laura
Néstor Mazzeo, Hugo Inda, Javier Taks,
del Puerto, Hugo Inda, Néstor Mazzeo,
Rafael Terra, Mario Bidegain,Carolina
Javier Taks & Rafael Terra. 2013.
Crisci and Isabel Bortagaray.
Variabilidad climática de importancia
2013. Capacidad de adaptación
para el sector productivo. In: Clima
y transformación en un clima de
de cambios, nuevos desafíos de
cambios. In: Clima de cambios, nuevos
adaptación en Uruguay, Walter
desafíos de adaptación en Uruguay,
Oyhantcabal, Diego Sancho and
Walter Oyhantcabal, Diego Sancho
Malvina Galván (eds.). Chapter 2: 43-
and Malvina Galvan (eds.). Chapter 6:
99, FAO 2013.
273-284, FAO 2013.
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Future projects Bilateral Scientific Cooperation with Brazil
crucial ecosystem services for human well being (at regional and global scales). The evolution of the
The proposal is about developing a
human development needs and
Brazil-Uruguay working platform in
those of environmental systems is
the area of climate-land use changes
unpredictable. South America faces
and resilience, and the related
significant environmental and social
societal dynamics. The main goal is
constraints, which present great
to develop an area of academic and
challenges and potentially significant
policy-oriented research around the
opportunities as well
following three themes: Anticipating critical transitions in • Futures of South America:
socio-ecological systems
Scenario planning in climate-land use changes and sustainability
The early warning signals system
• Anticipating critical transitions in
is aimed at anticipating critical
socio-ecological systems
transitions that occasionally reshape
• The societal dynamics and
complex systems in nature. A close
governance of environmental
monitoring of early warning signals
research and policy
for such transitions is key, not only for advancing our understanding of the
Futures of South America: Scenario
dynamics of environmental change,
planning in climate-land use changes
but also for anticipating and designing
and sustainability
decisions that impact societies on a wide range of dimensions. These
This line of action-research proposes
dynamics have been mainly thought in
to analyze the alternative pathways
the context of ecosystems. However,
for South America and provide
it is necessary to take this reflection
research and policy insights to
further, and integrate the analysis
navigate the complex, uncertain
regarding the social systems in
present and futures through scenario
general. To meet both the challenges
thinking. South America faces many
and the opportunities will require a
crucial and critical social, political
new approach to problem solving.
and environmental challenges. The
In this world marked by surprise,
rising demands for food, water,
the only evidence of emergent
housing and development must be
patterns comes in the form of weak
balanced with the need to preserve
but persistent early warning signs.
ANNUAL REPORT
Therefore, there is a need to build
enhances the capacity of ecosystems
• To design and monitoring system
decision-making capacity that includes
and the quality of human life. There
with key patterns in terms of
the ability to identify and respond to
is a need to find processes that
resilience to establish in the short
these emergent patterns. There is a
support whole system transformation.
term.
need to harness the different types
These new processes must engage
• To asses the adaptation and
of human potential, skill and creativity
government, civil society, and the
transformation capacity of the
to collectively tip the interconnected
private sector to devise solutions to
cattle system in the specific region.
ecological, social, political and
complex and intractable problems.
economic systems towards greater sustainability and resilience. The societal dynamics and governance of environmental research and policy The world is rapidly changing, and complexity and uncertainty define a good part of the new problems that
Building resilience capacity in vulnerable agroecosystems to current and future climatic variability (Sierra del Este and Basalto-Uruguay). Ministry of Agriculture, Cattle and Fisheries of Uruguay. 2014.
Rural landscape planning and ecosystem services conservation SARAS² are working together with the Maldonado authorities, DINOT (National Division of Land Planning of Uruguay) and Laguna del Sauce Basin Committee about possible strategies of rural planning in order to
societies face in the economic, social, and environmental spheres. Research
The main idea is to identify a set of
preserve relevant ecosystem services
and policy are required to provide
key drivers that condition the cattle
(mainly drinking water supply). The
(anticipated) insights and solutions
vulnerability in some specific regions
main idea is to develop an adaptive
to the emerging problems, which
with high vulnerability to dry periods
management approach, probably the
are increasingly more complex and
(Sierras del Este and Basalto). The
first example in rural land planning of
crosscut by high doses of uncertainty.
drivers involve different types of
Uruguay.
(sub)systems: climate (frequency The need to rely on new research
and drought intensity), social (land
solutions and policy interventions
property, associativity, etc.) and
calls for new methodological and
economic (credit access, among
analytical frameworks that account for
others). More in detail, the project
the complexity and interdisciplinarity
seeks:
Regional center of river basin planning and water management Cantabria University (Spain), the International Hydrologic Program of
of the emerging problems. It is necessary to better understand the
• To define the set of indicators
United Nations and SARAS² started to
societal and environmental dynamics
in the functioning of the overall
develop a possible regional program
in a systemic way, and reflect on the
system that allows to trace
of knowledge exchanges between
types, modalities, and functioning of
the temporal evolution of the
universities and water authorities from
institutions and governance structures
resilience capabilities both at the
South American countries, Spain and
required to act and react in a way that
regional and farm levels.
Portugal.
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Ruta 10 km 86, Parada 21 al fondo Bella Vista, Maldonado - Uruguay Email: info@saras-institute.org Website: www.saras-insitute.org