This paper uses the concept of urban land teleconnectedness to interrogate the cases of Lord Howe Island and Fernando de Noronha Archipelago in terms of the influence of tourism development in social-ecological resilience.

1. The Geographies of Island
Sustainability from a Complex
Adaptive Systems Perspective:
Urban Teleconnections and Social-
Ecological Resilience
Dr Leonardo Nogueira de Moraes
Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Resilience and Urban Planning

2. About the research
The paper presented here is a work-in-progress discrete output from the
research project:
Inheriting Sustainability: World Heritage Listing, Tourism
Development and the Resilience of Social-Ecological Complex
Adaptive Systems
ABP Human Research Ethics Clearance # 0932441

3. Acknowledgements
» The research presented in this paper was funded by a Faculty of
Architecture, Building and Planning PhD Fieldwork Grant.
» The presentation of this paper at the 8th Nordic Geographers Meeting was
made possible by a Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning Conference
Grant and a University of Melbourne Early Career Researcher Grant.
» My current appointment as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Resilience and
Urban Planning is jointly funded by the University of Melbourne and the
Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre.
» Prof Alan March was my supervisor at the University of Melbourne for the
PhD research that is the basis for this paper.
» My PhD candidature was funded by a Melbourne International Research
Scholarship and a Melbourne International Fee Remission Scholarship.
» Prof Eric Clark was my host supervisor at Lund University where I was a
guest PhD candidate in 2011, funded by a University of Melbourne Overseas
Research Experience Scholarship.

4. Abstract
Small oceanic islands are territories portraying clear boundaries and geographical isolation exhibiting human-environmental
relations that foster greater social cohesion, community identity and resilience. Not surprisingly, claims for indigenous
acknowledgement and rights can be brought up even by young island communities established in the 1800s such as in Norfolk Island,
Australia. Historically highly connected to global environmental systems, many of these islands have also started to experience
accelerated globalisation of their economies, mainly through tourism development. As they become more dependent to the
global economy, they are also subject to greater state and/or market regulation that raise the benchmark for the local production
of economic offerings. Their local social-ecological insurance–or the strong local social-ecological relationships that form the basis
of local resilience–start to be replaced by financial insurance, usually withheld globally rather than locally. As the Anthropocene
unfolds, global climate change brings another layer of complexity to these island communities. The extent to which they can retain
strong local social cohesion and local empowerment in face of global economic and environmental threats is a significant
challenge to their survival. This is a fundamental question of scales. To thrive in a globalising world and to withstand the threats posed
by uncertain behaviour of ever-changing global systems to which they are increasingly connected, island communities are forced to
leverage their capacity to operate in global environmental and economic systems. This paper explores the realities, challenges
and possibilities faced by Lord Howe Island (Australia) and the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (Brazil).

5. About the paper
This paper revisits findings from my PhD research by using the
concept of urban land teleconnectedness to interrogate the
cases of Lord Howe Island and Fernando de Noronha
Archipelago in terms of the influence of tourism
development in social-ecological resilience.

6. Original Research
Question How do different types of interpersonal and
interorganisational relationships of competition and
cooperation among tourism stakeholders of small oceanic
islands listed as Natural World Heritage Properties – NWHPs
influence the sustainability of their tourism development
and the resilience of their local social-ecological complex
adaptive systems?

7. How the research is
structured
The research is framed as a multiple case study focusing on
self-organisation by means of competition and cooperation.
Data collection involved sourcing of government and NGO
documents and websites; semi-structured interviews with
representatives from key organisations and local communities;
and direct observation.
Data was qualitatively analysed through a Grounded Theory
(Charmaz, 2006) approach with the support of NVivo 10.

8. Case Studies “Case studies can be associated with both theory generation
and theory testing” (Bryman, 2016, p. 64).
In fact, if conducted through Grounded Theory methods, both
would be carried out almost simultaneously through feedback
processes.
Case studies can comprise one (single case studies) or
various cases (multiple case studies) that are standalone
(holistic) or embedded (organised in a hierarchical way).
(Yin, 2014, p. 50).
“The findings of qualitative research are to generali[s]e to
theory rather than to populations” (Bryman, 2016, p.399).
“For case studies, “the method of generali[s]ation is ‘analytic
generali[s]ation’, in which a […] developed theory is used as a
template with which to compare the empirical results of the
case study” (Blaikie, 2010, p. 194).

9. Observation and
Interviewing
Coding
Sampling
Reflecting
Preparing
Asking
Probing
Validating
Recording
Refocusing /
Transitioning
Building
Rapport
Observing /
Active
Listening

10. Data Collection and
Analysis
Data
Processing
Theory
Building
Data
Capture
Data
Analysis
Data
Sourcing
Data
Visualisation
Theory
Testing

11. Urban Land
Teleconnections “Urban land teleconnections is a process-based
conceptualization that intertwines land use and urbanization
by linking places through their processes. […] Urban land
teleconnections differs from concepts such as the ecological
footprint because it accounts explicitly for interrelations
between specific parcels of land rather than a general ‘global
hinterland’ […]. It relates consequences to particular places
and hence highlights processes between actual locations”.
(Seto et al., 2012, p. 7689).

12. Urban Land
Teleconnections
“It requires different types of questions to identify the site-
specific spatial and temporal pathways through which actions
and decisions in urban areas drive land change in distal
rural or peri-urban areas, and vice versa. These pathways
could include flows of capital, information, people, goods,
materials, energy, and services that connect distal places”
(Seto et al., 2012, p. 7690).

13. Urban Land
Teleconnections
Source: Seto et al. (2012, p. 7689)

14. Tourist Development
&
Tourism Development
Tourism development is understood here as the development
of the tourism activity in a certain location over time, while
tourist development refers to land development that has been
carried out for tourism purposes.

15. Principles for Building
Resilience in Social-
Ecological Systems
Source: Simonsen, et al.,
2014
Maintain
diversity and
redundancy
Manage
Connectivity
Encourage
Learning
Promote
Polycentric
Governance
Broaden
Participation
Manage
Slow Variables
and Feedbacks
Foster
Complex
Adaptive
Systems
Thinking

16. Complexity and
Contemporary
Planning Theory
(de Roo, 2010)
» Linear systems versus complex systems
» Environmental and social interactions as the phenomenon
» Self-organisation and state regulation
» Emergent properties and feedback loops
» Identified problems or challenges are usually not the
phenomenon itself, but their actual outcome
» The planned city versus planning the city (UN-Habitat, 2016)

17. Nested Stocks of Energy, Matter, Info and Agents
Cross-Cutting Systems (e.g. Tourism System)
Mangrove, reef, livestock, invasive species, etc.
Water bodies, clouds, air masses, landscape
Generational Islanders, 10-Year Islanders, tourists…
Elements Self-Organise in a Web of Relationships
Feedbacks (Self-Reinforcing and Self-Moderating)
LOCAL
TOURISM
DEVELOPMENT
GLOBAL
TOURISM
Emergent Complex Adaptive Properties
Transfers (Inputs and Outputs)
Processes (Throughputs)
ISLAND SYSTEMGLOBAL SYSTEM
Nested Systems Boundaries
Social-Ecological Complex Adaptive System
Adapted from Nogueira de Moraes (2014)

18. Fernando de Noronha Archipelago
& Lord Howe Island (Nogueira de Moraes, 2014)
18
FDN LHI
Country Name Brazil Australia
Country Population (people) 203,011,9591 23,570,7652
Country Area (sq. km) 8,511,965 7,692,024
Country Density (people/sq. km) 23.85 3.06
State Name and Acronym Pernambuco - PE New South Wales - NSW
Island Population 3,600 (estimate) 360 in 2011 census
Main Island Area (sq. km) 17.01 14.54
Island Density (people/sq. km) 212 25
Tourist Carrying Capacity 450 tourists3 400 tourists4
Mainland Connecting Airport 545km 700km
International
UNESCO Natural World Heritage 2001 1982
Property Name Brazilian Atlantic Islands Lord Howe Island Group
Type of Area Part of serial WH property Single WH property
Selection Criteria vii; ix; x vii; x
National
Federal Environmental Protection Area 1986 -
National Marine Park 1988 2000; 2012
State
State Permanent Park Preserve - 1982
State Environmental Protection Area 1989 -
State Marine Park 1995 1999
1 Estimate on 20th August 2014 at 13:54:46 Canberra Time (IBGE, 2014).
2 Estimate on 20th August 2014 at 13:55:15 Canberra Time (ABS, 2014).
3 Maximum of 450 tourists that can enter the island by plane on a single day.
4 Maximum of 400 simultaneous tourists on any given day based on the number of 400 tourist beds allowed on the island.

19. Establishment
of LHIB
Land Tenure
Provisions
Pushes
For
LHI
Settlement
Whaling
Decline
Leads
To
Kentia Palm
Exploration
Whaling
Development
Leads
To
Leads
To
Pushes
For
Economic
Development
Greater
Connections to
the Mainland
Leads
To
Assent of
LHI Act
1953Kentia
Palm
Crises
Tourism
Development
Allow
Diversity of
Unique Species
& Ecosystems
Environmental
Fragility
Scientific
Interest
Need to
Protect
World
Heritage
Listing
Proclamation
of LHI Permanent
Park Preserve
Proclamation
of Forest
Reserve
Institution of
Tourist
Bed Cap
Restrictions to
Cruiseship
Operation
Proclamation
of LHI Marine
Park (Comm. W.)
Proclamation
of LHI Marine
Park (State W.)
Institution of the
10-Year-Residency
Islander Status Provision
Pushes
For
Economic
Value
Portrays Sparks
Restricts
Pushes
For
Allows
Pushes
For
Pushes
For
Amend
High-
light
Influence
Rein-
forces
Amends
Influence
Localised Conservation
Axial Coding
Adapted from Nogueira de Moraes (2014)

20. Land Use & Sea Use
Regulations
LHIB
Administration
Conservation
Movement
Islanders
Entry of External
Capital
Control of Invasive
Species, Caps, LEP & LC
Federal GovernmentLocal Government
NSW
GovernmentLHIB
Commonwealth
Government
NSW Department of Planning
and Environment
Tourism
Development
10-Year Islander
Status Regulation
Commonwealth Dep.
of Environment
State Government
Part
of
Defines Defines
Defines
Deter-
mines
Divides
Unites &
Divides
Unites &
Divides
Pushes
for
Pushes
for
Directs DirectsDirects
Part
of
Funds
Selective
Coding
Adapted from Nogueira
de Moraes (2014)

21. Global
Structures
Global-Local
Structures
Local
Structures
Intensifies
Entry
Barriers
Affects
Affects
Reinforces
AffectsAffects
Local
Social
Cohesion
Local
Empowerment
Affects
Global
Social
Cohesion
Global
Empowerment
Affects
Global
Benchmarking
Reinforces
Pushes
For
Pushes
For
Pushes
For
Intensifies
Intensifies Fosters
Pushes
For
Pushes
For
Global-Local
Cooperation
Global
Competition
Global
Cooperation
Local
Competition
Local
Cooperation
Global-Local
Competition
Global-Local
Benchmarking
Local
Benchmarking
Reinforces
Theoretical Coding
Adapted from Nogueira de Moraes (2014)

22. Preliminary Findings
» Within global-local relationships of competition and
cooperation there can be different models leading to urban
land teleconnections that can hinder and/or build local social-
ecological resilience.
» The extent to which local communities are capable to steer
processes of local development appears as a strong driver
leading to social-ecological resilience.
» From a complex adaptive systems perspective that
understands systems as nested, the extent to which local
communities can operate in different system scales to balance
local, regional, national and global priorities seems to be the
greatest challenge. The way they steer how their destination
teleconnect with global urban portals and beyond seem to be
key to their empowerment, identity, cohesion and place-
making.
» Access to global knowledge, global know-how and global
networks seem to drive their capacity to steer processes of
teleconnection.

23. References
Blaikie, N. (2010). Designing Social Research - The Logic of Anticipation. Cambridge: Polity
Press.
Bryman, A. (2016). Social Research Methods (5th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory - a practical guide through qualitative analysis.
London: SAGE.
de Roo, G. (2010). Being or Becoming? That is the Question! Confronting Complexity with
Contemporary Planning Theory. In G. de Roo & E. A. Silva (Eds.), A planner's encounter with
complexity (pp. 19-40).
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/unimelb/detail.action?docID=554554: Ashgate Pub Co.
Google Earth. (2018). In. earth.google.com: Google Earth.
Nogueira de Moraes, Leonardo. 2014. “Inheriting Sustainability: World Heritage Listing, the
Design of Tourism Development and the Resilience of Social-Ecological Complex Adaptive
Systems in Small Oceanic Islands: a Comparative Case Study of Lord Howe Island (Australia)
and Fernando De Noronha (Brazil).” Supervised by Alan Peter March. Melbourne: The University
of Melbourne Digital Repository. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/48400.
Seto, K. C., Reenberg, A., Boone, C. G., Fragkias, M., Haase, D., Langanke, T., . . . Simon, D.
(2012). Urban land teleconnections and sustainability. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, 109(20), 7687-7692. doi:10.1073/pnas.1117622109
Simonsen, S. H., Biggs, R., Schlüter, M., Schoon, M., Bohensky, E., Cundill, G., . . . Moberg, F.
(2014). Applying Resilience Thinking - Seven Principles for Building Resilience in Social-
Ecological Systems. Retrieved from Stockholm:
http://www.stockholmresilience.org/download/18.10119fc11455d3c557d6928/1459560241272/SR
C+Applying+Resilience+final.pdf;
UN-Habitat. (2016). A City that Plans - Reinventing Urban Planning. In World Cities Report 2016 -
Urbanization and Development - Emerging Futures (pp. 121-140).
http://nua.unhabitat.org/uploads/WCRFullReport2016_EN.pdf.
Yin, R. K. (2014). Case Study Research - Design and Methods (Applied Social Research
Methods) (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE.

24. Dr Leonardo Nogueira de Moraes
leonardo.moraes@unimelb.edu.au