Blue Planet Prize Story：2018 winner Prof. Brian Walker

Prof. Brian Walker

Born in September 23, 1940
Ecologist, Australia

Honorary Fellow at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)
Honorary Professor at the Australian National University

Resilience – the ability to respond to changes

Nature is exposed to changes all the time, but it is able to respond to such changes. In forests, for example, trees fall in storms and are cut down by people; however, because of nature's ability to respond to changes, trees grow in their place and eventually replenish the forests.
This does not, however, happen in all cases. We have learned that forests can undergo sudden change and be unable to return to their original state. That is, they have lost the ability to respond to change.

The ability to respond to changes is called resilience. Professor Walker has studied resilience in depth. As an ecologist he encountered resilience while considering sudden changes arising in natural ecosystems. Through his research, he came to see resilience as very important not only for ecosystems, but also human society.

Index

1. Interest in unknown nature

2. Resilience of ecosystems

3. Resilience of social-ecological systems (SESs)

4. Wishes for the future