Interconnected Systems

Interconnected Physical and Socio‑Economic Systems. As new policies and technologies are developed amid climate and other global changes, they interact with environmental processes and institutions in ways that can alter the Earth’s critical life‑support systems. Fundamental mechanisms that determine many of these systems’ behaviors, including those related to interacting climate, water, food and socio‑economic systems, remain largely unknown and poorly quantified. Better understanding can help society mitigate the risks of abrupt changes and “tipping points” in these systems.