Zentrum für Entwicklungsforschung 346d ago

This video is part of the Expert Talk Series by the Complex Systems Group (CSG) at the Center for Development Research (ZEF). In this Talk, we are honored to host Prof. Ruth DeFries, Professor of Ecology and Sustainable Development at Columbia University and co-founding dean of the Columbia Climate School. Prof. DeFries is a leading environmental geographer whose research explores sustainable pathways for both people and nature to thrive. She is also an award-winning author, with her latest book "What Would Nature Do?", offering insights from complexity science and natural systems to help address today’s global crises. In this talk, she shares her unique perspective at the intersection of science, policy, and public communication. Her research aims to contribute to realistic pathways for people and nature to thrive. DeFries was elected as a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, received a MacArthur “genius” award, and is the recipient of many other honors for her scientific research. In addition to over 200 scientific papers, she is committed to communicating the nuances and complexities of sustainable development to popular audiences through her books “The Big Ratchet: How Humanity Thrives in the Face of Natural Crisis and “What Would Nature Do?: A Guide for Our Uncertain Times”, that takes lessons from Nature complexity and system science to address current social and ecological challenges. DeFries is committed to linking science with policy, for example through her involvement with the Environmental Defense Fund, Science for Nature and People, and World Wildlife Fund.