ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research in Frankfurt am Main is one of the leading independent institutes for sustainability research. For more than 30 years the institute has been developing scientific bases and future oriented concepts for politics, civil society and the economy – regionally, nationally and internationally. Our research topics include water, energy, climate protection, mobility, urban spaces, biodiversity and social-ecological systems.

ISOE Lecture with Karen O’Brien: Quantum theory in sustainability research +++ DINA study shows loss of insect diversity in nature reserves due to surrounding farmland +++ African savannas: social-ecological research with the aim to protect soils +++ Study shows benefits of high grassland biodiversity for a variety of ecosystem services +++ Knowledge transfer on sustainable water infrastructure in India +++ Frankfurt Prize for Environment and Sustainability awarded to ISOE researchers +++  ISOE Blog +++ Publications

ISOE Lecture with Karen O’Brien at the Goethe University Frankfurt Quantum theory in sustainability research
		The numerous global environmental crises of our time call for profound change. But how can we realize this change at the pace, scale and depth required? How can the necessary transformations be achieved in a fair and sustainable way? Karen O’Brien, internationally renowned expert on climate change and society, explored these questions with a social science perspective of quantum theory at the ISOE...Read more

Biodiversity DINA study shows loss of insect diversity in nature reserves due to surrounding farmland
		Insect decline is also progressing in German nature reserves. One reason for this is the intensification of agriculture. In a study recently published in the journal “Biodiversity and Conservation”, a team of authors led by biodiversity researchers Florian Dirk Schneider of ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research and Sebastian Köthe of NABU – Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union...Read more

World Soil Day on December 5, 2022 African savannas: social-ecological research with the aim to protect soils
		Savannas are underestimated and endangered ecosystems. These drylands cover almost half of the land surface and make an important contribution to biodiversity conservation. But due to climate change and unsustainable land use, already up to 20 percent of these ecosystems worldwide are no longer intact. Using Namibia as an example, researchers from the ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological...Read more

Biodiversity Study shows benefits of high grassland biodiversity for a variety of ecosystem services
		In a long-term study, a team of biodiversity researchers from Frankfurt has demonstrated the importance of grassland biodiversity for a wide range of ecosystem services and various stakeholder groups. The study now published in the journal “Nature Ecology & Evolution,” is the first to expand the view to a total of 16 ecosystem services – from ecological to cultural – and to examine the...Read more

Research project AQUA-Hub Knowledge transfer on sustainable water infrastructure in India
		India’s fast-growing cities need an efficient infrastructure for water supply and wastewater disposal. However, the expansion of water infrastructures can hardly keep up with population growth. A research cooperation, in which ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research is also involved, is therefore supporting the development of a sustainable water infrastructure in the southern Indian city...Read more

Goethe University Award Frankfurt Prize for Environment and Sustainability awarded to ISOE researchers
		In 2022, Goethe University Frankfurt once again awarded young researchers for outstanding qualification work in the field of environmental and socio-ecological sustainability research. This year, the two main prizes went to Lisa Zimmermann and Lukas Sattlegger from the ISOE research group “PlastX – Plastics as a systemic risk for socio-ecological supply systems”. The award ceremony took place on...Read more

How can social ecology benefit from political ecology and vice versa? An international two-day online workshop organized by ISOE researchers offered the opportunity for dialogue between these neighbouring research fields. What role do more-than-human entities such as plants, animals, rivers, resources, geomorphological formations and things play in conflict analysis? This was the overarching question of the session, which linked the concept of social-ecological systems ... Read more

Transdisciplinary research ideally builds upon both scientific approaches and practical knowledge from stakeholders. However, in advanced stages of the research process, how should the knowledge transfer of relevant research results to local stakeholders take place? The example of Namibian land users shows that knowledge has to be prepared and communicated in a target group-specific way. The more you know about the target group in question and the earlier you take the upcoming knowledge transfer into account, the easier this process will be ... Read more

Beyerl, Katharina/Franz X. Bogner/Maria Daskalakis/Thomas Decker/Frieder Rubik/Stefan Schweiger/Immanuel Stieß/Katrin Wendt-Potthoff (2022): Limited options: What influence do consumers have? In: Hinzmann, Mandy/Doris Knoblauch/Linda Mederake/Hannes Schritt/Ulf Stein (Hg.): Key messages of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment"., 33-35

Drees, Lukas/Stefan Liehr/Batjav Batbuyan/Oskar Marg/Marion Mehring (2022): In search of a nomadic pastoralism for the 21st century. A transdisciplinary development of future scenarios to foster a social-ecological transformation in Mongolia. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research 35 (3), 481-505

Frick-Trzebitzky, Fanny/Thomas Kluge/Stefan Stegemann/Martin Zimmermann (2022): Capacity development for water reuse in in-formal partnerships in northern Namibia. Front Water 4, 906407

Kasymov, Ulan/Irene Ring/Ganzorig Gonchigsumlaa/Nandintsetseg Dejid/Lukas Drees (2022): Exploring complementarity among interdependent pastoral institutions in Mongolia. Sustainability Science

Keller, Alexander/Markus J. Ankenbrand/Helge Bruelheide/Stefanie Dekeyzer/Brian J. Enquist/Mohammad Bagher Erfanian/Daniel S. Falster/Rachael V. Gallagher/Jennifer Hammock/Jens Kattge/Sara D. Leonhardt/Joshua S. Madin/Brian Maitner/Margot Neyret/Renske E. Onstein/William D. Pearse/Jorrit H. Poelen/Roberto Salguero-Gomez/Florian D. Schneider/Anikó B. Tóth/Caterina Penone (2022): Ten (mostly) simple rules to future-proof trait data in ecological and evolutionary sciences. Methods in Ecology and Evolution

Kerber, Heide/Markus Rauchecker/Fanny Frick-Trzebitzky (2022): Social ecology meets political ecology: A chance to gain new perspectives? ISOE Blog Soziale Ökologie. Krise - Kritik - Gestaltung

Kramm, Johanna/Stefanie Steinhoff/Simon Werschmöller/Beate Völker/Carolin Völker (2022): Explaining risk perception of microplastics: Results from a representative survey in Germany. Global Environmental Change 73 (March 2022), 102485

Lehmkuhl, Frank/Holger Schüttrumpf/Jan Schwarzbauer/Catrina Brüll/Michael Dietze/Peter Letmathe/Carolin Völker/Henner Hollert (2022): Assessment of the 2021 summer flood in Central Europe. Environmental Sciences Europe 34 (107)

Llopis, Jorge C./Clara L. Diebold/Flurina Schneider/Paul C. Harimalala/O.Ravaka Andriamihaja/Peter Messerli/Julie G. Zaehringer (2022): Mixed impacts of protected areas and a cash crop boom on human well-being in North-Eastern Madagascar. People and Nature

Lüdtke, Deike U./Verena Rossow/Nicola Schuldt-Baumgart/Stefan Liehr (2022): How to reach people through knowledge transfer - Sustainability and conservation research: addressing Namibian land users. ISOE Policy Brief, 9. Frankfurt am Main: ISOE - Institut für sozial-ökologische Forschung

Lüdtke, Deike U./Verena Rossow/Nicola Schuldt-Baumgart/Stefan Liehr (2022): Avoiding pitfalls in knowledge transfer. A guide using the example of communication with Namibian land users. ISOE Blog Soziale Ökologie. Krise - Kritik - Gestaltung

Lundsgaard-Hansen, Lara M./Christoph Oberlack/Glenn Hunt/Flurina Schneider (2022): The (In)Ability of a Multi-Stakeholder Platform to Address Land Conflicts-Lessons Learnt from an Oil Palm Landscape in Myanmar. Land 11 (8), 1348

Lütkemeier, Robert/Linda Söller/Fanny Frick-Trzebitzky (2022): Anthropogenic Pressures on Groundwater. Encyclopedia of Inland Waters (Second Edition) 3, 548-559

Nölting, Benjamin/Bettina König/Anne B. Zimmermann/Antonietta Di Giulio/Martina Schäfer/Flurina Schneider (2022): Dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic: an opportunity to reflect on sustainability research. NachhaltigkeitsManagementForum

Pande, Saket/Melissa Haeffner/Günter Blöschl/Mohammad Faiz Alam/Cyndi Castro/Giuliano Di Baldassarre/Fanny Frick-Trzebitzky/Rick Hogeboom/Heidi Kreibich/Jenia Mukherjee/Aditi Mukherji/Fernando Nardi/Marcus Nüsser/Fuqiang Tian/Pieter van Oel/Murugesu Sivapalan (2022): Never Ask for a Lighter Rain but a Stronger Umbrella. Front Water 3, 822334

Patel, Zarina/Flurina Schneider/Katsia Paulavets (2022): Linking Local Projects With Global Processes: Learning From Transdisciplinary Collaborations in African Cities. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities 4:806053

Prakash, Sreya/Stefan Liehr/Marc Beckett/Marius Mohr (2022): Coimbatore's Lakes - An Introduction. Water Innovation Hub Coimbatore - HubPost, 1. Coimbatore, Frankfurt am Main, StuttgartPrakash, Sreya/Stefan Liehr/Marc Beckett/Marius Mohr (2022): The Slow Death of the Lakes. Water Innovation Hub Coimbatore - HubPost, 2. Coimbatore, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart

Prakash, Sreya/Stefan Liehr/Marc Beckett/Marius Mohr (2022): Championing the Rejuvenation. Water Innovation Hub Coimbatore - HubPost, 3. Coimbatore, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart

Prakash, Sreya/Stefan Liehr/Marc Beckett/Marius Mohr (2022): Smart Monitoring for Smart Management. Water Innovation Hub Coimbatore - HubPost, 4. Coimbatore, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart

Rauchecker, Markus (2022): The role of plant characteristics in environmental conflicts. ISOE Blog Soziale Ökologie. Krise - Kritik - Gestaltung

Sattlegger, Lukas/Elisabeth Süßbauer (2022): Packaging as a mediator in networks of practices.A transformational approach towards precycling. Soziologie Und Nachhaltigkeit 8 (2), 139-159

Schäpke, Niko/Oskar Marg/Matthias Bergmann/Franziska Stelzer/Daniel J. Lang (2022): Eleven success factors for transdisciplinary real-world labs. Integration and Implementation Insights. Integration and Implementation Insights

Schneider, Flurina/Aymara Llanque-Zonta/Onintsoa Ravaka Andriamihaja/R.Ntsiva N. Andriatsitohaina/ Aung Myin Tun/Kiteme Boniface/Johanna Jacobi/Enrico Celio/Clara Léonie Diebold/Laby Patrick/Phokham Latthachack/Jorge Claudio Llopis/Lara Lundsgaard-Hansen/Peter Messerli/Stellah Mukhovi/Nwe Nwe Tun/Zo Hasina Rabemananjara/Bruno Salomon Ramamonjisoa/Sithong Thongmanivong/Thoumthone Vongvisouk/Daovorn Thongphanh/Win Myint/Julie Gwendolin Zaehringer (2022): How context affects transdisciplinary research: insights from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Sustainability Science

Stein, Melina/Luca Nitschke/Laura Trost/Ansgar Dirschauer/Jutta Deffner (2022): Impacts of Commuting Practices on Social Sustainability and Sustainable Mobility. Sustainability 14 (8)

Stieß, Immanuel/Thomas Friedrich (2022): Accelerating market uptake of heat pump systems: Challenges, visions and steps for change - results from a stakeholder process in four European countries. Peer-reviewed conference paper. Proceedings of the eceee 2022 Summer Study on energy efficiency: agents of change.

Tarne, Anika/Batbuyan Batjav/Denise Margaret S. Matias/Marion Mehring (2022): Rural to urban migration in Mongolia - Social-ecological conditions for a stepwise process. ISOE-Diskussionspapiere, 47. Frankfurt am Main: ISOE - Institut für sozial-ökologische Forschung

Zimmermann, Martin/Felix Neu (2022): Social-Ecological Impact Assessment and Success Factors of a Water Reuse System for Irrigation Purposes in Central Northern Namibia. Water 14(15), 2381

Further publications can be found at www.isoe-publikationen.de.