Evolution of socio-ecosystem resilience in the Anthropocene: A positive perspective

The dominant discourse in global change science is currently defined by narratives of impacts and crisis, utilizing frameworks such as Planetary Boundaries and Tipping Points to diagnose biophysical risks. While essential for risk management, this focus often overshadows a parallel historical truth: the continuous and accelerating capacity of human societies to innovate and adapt. This study proposes a complementary, generative paradigm of positive resilience evolution. Defined as the emergent, co-evolutionary capacity of coupled socio-technological–ecological systems to sustain and enhance livability within a dynamic Earth, the positive perspective reframes humanity from a source of perturbation to a conscious agent of planetary stewardship.

The study articulates the theoretical foundations of this framework through five interactive pillars: Ecological Regeneration, Technological innovation, Social-culture Cohesion, Governance Intelligence, and Adaptive Actions. By integrating resilience theory with complex systems science, a capacity-oriented Resilience Index is established as a quantitative tool to track progress and identify high-leverage points for intervention. This perspective aims to move beyond descriptive vulnerability assessments toward prescriptive resilience engineering, emphasizing "bouncing forward" through intentional transformation. By highlighting documented resilience achievements and positive tipping points, this perspective provides a rigorous, evidence-based foundation for policy and practice.