Juan C. Rocha

Under current pressures of humans on the planet many ecosystems are at risk of undergoing large, abrupt, and persistent changes. Examples of these “regime shifts” include the collapse of fisheries, the shift from forest to savannahs, or the melting of ice sheets. Regime shifts are difficult to predict, costly or sometimes impossible to reverse, and they often impact the benefits people get from nature such as food or climate regulation.

My research investigates the main causes and consequences of regime shifts globally. My work has explored causal mechanisms that can connect different regime shifts, potentially amplifying their impacts and risk. I am deeply interested on how businesses, financial actors, cities, or countries are exposed to the risk of tipping points. I believe that creating awareness of where regime shifts could occur and who is exposed can empower actors to manage better their ecosystems or take preventive action. I am also interested on how people adapt to changes in their environment, whether the probability of regime shifts could undermine cooperative efforts, or how inequality impacts our ability to protect the biosphere.

In summary, my research aims to understand how cities, businesses or nations can achieve sustainable development.