A Dynamic Systems Approach to Integrated Sustainability: Synthesizing Theory and Modeling Through the Synergistic Resilience Framework

Sustainability research encompasses diverse theories and frameworks focused on promoting sustainable economic (E), social (S), and environmental (Env) systems. However, integrated approaches to sustainability challenges have been impeded due to the absence of a unified analytical framework in the field. This study investigated how foundational and emerging theories, including resilience thinking, systems theory, and planetary boundaries, could be synthesized to develop an Integrated Sustainability Model (ISM) that captures nonlinear feedback, adaptive capacities Ait, and threshold effects across these domains. The ISM model employs a system dynamics approach, where the rates of change for E, S, and Env are governed by coupled differential equations, each influenced by cross-domain feedback (αi and βi), adaptive capacity functions, and depletion rates (γi). The model explicitly incorporates boundary constraints and adaptive capacity, operationalizing the dynamic interplay and co-evolution of sustainability dimensions. Grounded in an integrative perspective, this research introduces the Synergistic Resilience Theory (SRT), which proposes optimal sustainability arises from managing economic, social, and environmental systems as interconnected, adaptive components of a resilient system. Theoretical analysis and conceptual simulations demonstrated that high adaptive capacity and positive cross-domain reinforcement foster resilient, synergistic growth, while reduced capacity or breaches of critical thresholds (Envmin and Smin) can lead to rapid decline and slow recovery. These insights illuminate the urgent need for integrated, preventive policy interventions that proactively build adaptive capacity and maintain system resilience. This research, by advancing a mathematically robust and conceptually integrative framework, provides a potent new lens for developing empirically validated, holistic sustainability strategies within sustainability research.