Projects

Liphe4 directs its research activity towards the improvement of the use of Science for Governance, with the aim of employing scientific knowledge as a space for dialogue and as a support tool for decision making. The field of Sustainability Studies is characterized by irreducible uncertainties and complexity that allow for different representations of the same system by different observers. In this context, the quality of the analysis depends on its relevance to different legitimate perspectives, which is assured through an extended peer review process.

The participation of an extended community in the definition and evaluation of sustainability issues requires:

• A process of knowledge brokerage that enables non-experts to enter the discussion, thereby opening access to scientific knowledge, and
• A quality control of scientific information used for governance, so that science can respond to the concerns and needs of the involved stakeholders.

Recent Research Projects & Activities

Exploring the Nexus between Land, Water, Food, Energy and Population

LIPHE4 is currently working with FAO on the application of the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) approach to explore the nexus between land, water, food, energy, wealth and population. The work is organized around the application of the MuSIASEM methodology to the assessment of three case studies: the Republic of Mauritius, South Africa and the Punjab region of India. More details here.

The Galápagos Islands Study

The Galápagos Islands constitute one of the world’s most unique natural heritage sites. However, rapidly increasing human pressure, especially from tourism, poses a serious threat to the ecological integrity of the islands. The conflict between different visions on the relative importance of local economic development and conservation needs poses a great challenge for governance. In this context, LIPHE4 has started a study for the WWF-Galápagos, in July 2012, with the aim of developing and applying alternative approaches and indicators to assess the impacts of tourism on the islands.

Our Energy Futures

Website devoted to interfacing scientists and society in a discussion about the global energy crisis. The website features a forum where people are invited to leave their opinion on the selected topics and/or submit new topics to the discussion, in order to gather non-expert perceptions on the energy crisis and check whether the scientific information provided responds to those concerned. Project co-financed by Fundació La Caixa.

"El Nostre Futur Energètic"

The project involves high school students and was developed in parallel to ‘Our Energy Futures’ with a specific focus on the Catalan community and on territory-specific implications of the energy crisis. The project includes a face-to-face dialogue with high school students of 10 selected institutes. Students actively engaged in the debate preparing a series of videos on topics of interest. Videos are featured on the website alongside the experts' stories, suggesting alternative narratives and alternative perceptions to those used by scientists. Project co-financed by Fundació La Caixa.

Sharing Water and Environmental Values: Peace Construction Efforts in Cyprus

Project aimed at evaluating the potential of natural resources as a common space for peace building. The project combines the use of the innovative analytical tools developed by the LIPHE4 community, namely MuSIASEM, with the analysis of local perceptions on water management from several communities in Cyprus, gathered through Participatory Mapping exercises conducted in the field. Project financed by the Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP).

7th Biennial International Workshop on Advances in Energy Studies (BIWAES)

International Workshop organized in Barcelona in October 2010 by ICTA/UAB and LIPHE4. The workshop series on Advances in Energy Studies aims at sharpening scientific focus and at building a collaborative network among scientists working on energy issues. The workshops bring together a wide range of scholars and researchers from all over the world in a round table discussion over the latest findings and methodologies developed. The movement towards a more integrated energy analysis has gained momentum in recent years, as society's attention is shifting towards policy debates concerning sustainable use of energy and resources, peak oil, and the relative power of and unstable relationships between different economies. Co-financed by ICTA, UAB, Generalitat de Catalunya, Fundació la Caixa and the Norwegian Ministry of Energy. Download Proceedings (8mb).