Social-Ecological Transformations and Rural Futures

Rural regions are experiencing profound environmental, demographic, economic and social transformations. Climate change, agricultural restructuring, depopulation, energy transitions, biodiversity loss and changing governance arrangements are reshaping rural communities across the globe. At the same time, rural areas are increasingly expected to contribute to sustainability transitions while addressing persistent development challenges and territorial inequalities.

This session invites contributions examining rural futures through the lens of social-ecological transformations and social-ecological systems. We welcome theoretical and empirical research exploring the interactions between environmental change, development processes and social dynamics in rural contexts. Topics may include social-ecological systems, resilience and adaptation, sustainability transitions, climate change, rural development, agricultural change, natural resource governance, renewable energy development, demographic transformations, social innovation, community initiatives, rural-urban relations and place-based approaches to sustainability.

The session particularly encourages contributions that investigate how rural communities navigate uncertainty and change, as well as how different configurations of social-ecological systems shape pathways towards sustainable and inclusive futures. Comparative, interdisciplinary and international perspectives are especially welcome. This session is organized as part of the research project TRANSFORM_RURAL (IP-2025-02-8001), funded by the Croatian Science Foundation.