Creating long-term transformations in our world has always been a problem, simply because our world is not the same all around. We all exist within smaller, complex systems that make up the entire planet. These systems often differ in many ways. This is what makes solving wicked problems so difficult, since coming up with a solution for one particular issue does not guarantee that it will work for that same issue all throughout the world. Leaving many people to assume that the fight for worldwide change is impossible. However, we often forget to look at the small similarities between the systems that govern our societies. As we do start to recognize these patterns, we begin to realize that large scale change is not as difficult as it may seem at first glance.
Adrienne Marie Brown shows in the beginning sections of “Emergent Strategies” that the most crucial step in making changes in our world is by learning about natural systems. As explained in the introduction, we are often greatly affected by changes in other ecosystems around us and vice versa. If we want to make real changes that can benefit more than just one or two regions of the world, a basic understanding of the natural systems around us is a necessity. That means learning how to sustain our population and the population of other animals that share the planet with us. “I want to understand how we humans do that-how we earn a place on this precious planet, get in the ‘right relationship’ with it. So I am focusing on the ways creatures and ecosystems function together in and with the natural world” (5). Despite so many efforts being made to leave Earth behind in the future, we often forget to notice the perfect planet we already live on. The chances of life existing at all are slim, if this planet managed to get it right, then we should spend more time trying to heal it instead of abandoning it.
The most intriguing part of Brown’s plans for understanding natural systems is the use of emergent strategies. The term emergent strategy is best explained by breaking down the meanings of the individual words. Emergent simply means looking at multiple different layers of interactions between systems. If two ecosystems were to be closely related based on similar patterns, this relationship could help people learn how to change or sustain one ecosystem by affecting the other. “But emergence shows us that adaptation and evolution depend more upon critical, deep, and authentic connections, a thread that can be tugged for support and resilience… Dare I say love. And we know how to connect-we long for it” (14). Strategies, on the other hand, refer to the steps taken to accomplish some sort of feat. Together, emergent strategies are measures made to change certain systems based on the relationships outside and within them. This is important because many patterns in nature are often ignored or not investigated because they may not have seemed so significant at first. However, Brown argues that these patterns could be the key to solving problems throughout multiple different systems, simplifying the way we look at complexity in the natural world.
So what’s the point? Yes, these ideas are useful for people wanting to make changes in their communities, states, or even countries. But how does this apply to water equity and the Mississippi River? How can emergent strategies be used to solve problems along one of the largest rivers in the Americas? Well, despite how different certain communities along the Mississippi may be, they all share common advantages and disadvantages. Many of these cities experience massive flooding from the river, yet they also have access to easy transportation thanks to the river. In mapping the Mississippi, we can notice the similarities in nearby communities and use that to our advantage. For example, efforts made to minimize flooding in one city could also be used in another city with the same problem. Implementing Brown’s ideas in real life could be the key to changing our goals from just a vision to a reality.
All in all, the systems in our world are a lot more connected than we may realize. Many different cities and states along the Mississippi River share common problems that can be solved by noticing the patterns within them. Even beyond our country, there are several massive rivers throughout the world that may pose the same problems for the people who live along them. Water equity along the Mississippi River is an issue in and of itself, but it is not the only water related issue that is faced in our world today. If we can learn to recognize the patterns within our vicinity, we can also learn to apply these solutions to other systems around the world, making real change not just for our country, but for our entire planet.