Multisolving: Creating Systems Change in a Fractured World

We live in a globally connected world, meaning the decisions made by individuals, communities and nations in one place affect, for example, the climate system in other, distant parts of the world.

The global socioeconomic system is both complex and uncertain in the ways it responds to such inputs, making it a challenge for people and policymakers to determine what the consequences of pulling individual levers will be.

In her excellent book, Elizabeth Sawin demonstrates how to navigate this complexity through an understanding of systems behaviours and dynamics, using vision, values and simple rules. First providing a description of systems along with an array of examples to show how systems are structured and the ways that stocks rise and fall through ebbs and flows and feedbacks, Sawin uses her experience of practical actions and collaborating with individuals, communities, NGOs and state/national bodies to shed light on how a multisolving approach addresses a multitude of issues. For example, restoring and protecting ecosystems can safeguard not only biodiversity, but also improve air and water quality, build climate resilience, sequester carbon and more besides.

The examples are rather US-centric, but there is a lot to take away from this book and I recommend it to those who want to come away optimistic that even the small changes that we can each make will ripple to create a better world for us, our children and our children’s children.

Professor Iain Gordon FRSB

Reviewed by Professor Iain Gordon FRSB, Honorary Professor at the Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University