Systems Thinking as a Catalyst for Climate-Cognisant Sustainable Land Use Planning: Insights from Regional Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Amidst escalating climate change challenges, effective land use planning and decision-making are crucial for nurturing resilient and sustainable landscapes. Decision-makers often struggle with unintended consequences due to the intricate system dynamics, compounded by fragmented information and divergent stakeholder perspectives. This research integrates science, stakeholder engagement, and systems thinking to navigate the complexities of land use planning in response to climate change. We develop a decision-making framework for climate-cognisant sustainable land use planning, incorporating systems thinking principles. The framework uses validated expert system models to assess climate change impacts on agricultural land use. Through collaborative engagement with end users, it is refined to address specific regional challenges and opportunities. Applied within a case study in Victoria, Australia, and generalized for broader contexts, the framework provides a practical, systemic-intervention-driven process for better regional planning decisions amid evolving climate complexities.

Keywords: Climate Change, Land Use Planning, Systems Thinking, Decision Making, Stakeholder

             Engagement