This new volume of the CBD Technical Series presents an analysis of the systemic character of global change, biodiversity and human development, and the relationships between them. The report describes and evaluates the complicated relationships and dynamics between human and biological systems. Theoretical concepts, such as complex systems models, are proposed as realistic and workable models for future strategies in sustainable development. So far there has been little attempt to move this science into practice partly because it lacks the unequivocal scientific evidence demanded by an increasingly scrutinising society.