Resilience: A Key Factor in Human Population Growth and Long-Term Survival throughout History
The ability of populations to resist and recover from frequent disturbances has been shown to enhance resilience, according to a Nature paper. A study by Philip Riris and colleagues analyzed 30,000 years of human history and found that frequent downturns increase the ability of populations to withstand and recover from disturbances.
The authors suggest that humanity’s long-term population growth may have been sustained by positive feedback cycles of vulnerability, resistance, and recovery. Their findings show that farming and herding societies were more vulnerable to crises but also more resilient overall. This study sheds light on the importance of resilience in shaping human societies throughout history and has implications for future population growth and resilience-building strategies.
Resilience is essential for societies to withstand and recover from crises. While much research has focused on present-day resilience, factors that contribute to long-term resilience have been less studied. To address this gap, Philip Riris and colleagues quantified patterns of prehistoric population resistance to disturbances over a 30,000-year period at 16 locations worldwide.
Their findings show that frequent downturns increase the ability of populations to withstand and recover from disturbances. This effect is influenced by land-use patterns, with farming and herding societies being more vulnerable to crises but also more resilient overall. The study draws parallels with ecology, where natural disturbances are believed to enhance the long-term resilience of ecosystems.
Overall, this study highlights the importance of understanding how populations respond to disturbances in order to build greater resilience in both human societies and ecosystems. It suggests that a focus on building resilience rather than simply mitigating risks may be key to achieving long-term sustainability in both domains.
