Facilitate Self Organisation

14b

Facilitate Self Organisation

SES are self-organising systems that constantly adjust and reorganise in response to changes; both external and internal (Biggs, et al., 2015). Self-organisation implies a structure in a system without a central authority or external forces deciding (Biggs, et al., 2015). The mechanism that allows for this are the feedback loops between parts of the system that reinforce or dampen system effects. Over time, some of these feedbacks become dominant and lead to a structure in the SES. Resilience also matters here because shocks which are large enough can cause a structure to change drastically (Biggs, et al., 2015).

The key according to Biggs, et al (2015) is to understand the nature of these feedback loops and “working with” systems to develop self-organisation by identifying leverage points which promote self-reinforcing change.

I came across several of these examples in my previous posts. For example, the Waterways Watch Society which is a volunteer group set up to protect the environment of the water bodies of Singapore. Originally the protection of such water bodies were largely limited to the authorities such as the Public Utilities Board and Nparks. However, with the focus on public education; we can see a rise in public interest in keeping the waterways clean. Thus resulting in the creation of volunteer groups such as the Waterways Watch Society (WWS).

The creation of these groups represent an element of Self Organisation because of their independent nature. They can to some extent implement plans to improve the area they are concerned with depending of course on their mandate. For example, the bio diversity park set up by the WWS seeks to better educate park goers on the importance of taking care of the park. Thus supporting the environmental conservation message that the authorities have.

The Nature Society’s involvement in the Cross Island Line mentioned in an earlier post is also an example of self-organisation. Where the central planners of the area have plans to change the structure of the natural environment, there exists a counter force to dissuade the planners from doing so in order to protect the pre-existing structures of the nature reserves.

 However, I thought this example is also most apt in showing the limits of self-organisation in the face of external force. This is because the ultimate decision still lies with the government of Singapore and volunteer groups are unlikely to be able to override the final decision. Thus, whilst self-organisation may help to keep a system running in the face of small external shocks, shocks of sufficient magnitude may disrupt the structures maintained through self-organising feedback loops. The plans for the line are still under discussion as the parties involved have not come to an agreement regarding the overall alignment of the line so it still remains to be seen where the decision will go.

In conclusion, self-organisation relies heavily upon feedback loops to ensure processes and structures of the ecosystem are kept sound. However, self-organisation I feel is largely useless in the force of sufficient external force as existing structures may not be able to adapt to significant changes. Thus whilst self-organisation may be a valid strategy in managing SES, it should be used in tandem with the other four strategies.