Telecoupled systems are rewired by risks

Risks in globally interconnected socio-environmental systems are complex: trade, migration, climate phenomena such as El Niño, and other processes can both redistribute and modulate risks. Here we argue that risk must be investigated not only as a product of these systems but also as a force that rewires them through, for example, supply diversification, trade policy, insurance and other contracting, or cooperation. Two key questions arise: how do individuals and institutions perceive risks in these global, complex systems, and how do attempts to govern risks change how the systems function? We identify several areas for interdisciplinary research to address these questions. Risks in globally interconnected socio-environmental systems are complex and efforts to study them are incomplete. This Perspective argues that risks should be considered as both a product of these systems and a force that rewires them through a variety of mechanisms.