Conception et mise en œuvre de l’interdisciplinarité dans les Observatoires hommes-milieux (OHM, CNRS)^☆

Design and implementation of interdisciplinarity in the Human-Environment Observatories (Observatoires hommes-milieux, OHM, CNRS)

Interactions hommes-milieux, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS-INEE, Paris, France

^* Auteur correspondant : robert.chenorkian@univ-amu.fr

Résumé

Pour répondre à la complexité des crises socioécosystémiques qui affectent de plus en plus une planète anthropisée et globalisée, l’auteur a conçu et mis en œuvre dans le cadre de l’Institut écologie et environnement (INEE) du CNRS depuis 2007 un dispositif global d’interdisciplinarité : les Observatoires hommes-milieux (OHM, 13 existants en 2019), lauréat du PIA1 par un Labex (DRIIHM) depuis 2012. L’auteur présente ce que signifie dans leur cadre l’interdisciplinarité, en quoi elle se distingue des échanges interdisciplinaires classiquement identifiés, comment elle est conçue et mise en œuvre, du plan théorique au plus pratique. Il donne quelques exemples de réalisations et dans une discussion, positionne ce dispositif et ses principes par rapport aux cadres et dispositifs existants.

Abstract

Societies are facing social ecosystemic crises which affect the highly anthropized and globalized Planet and which constitute major issues and a huge challenge for the future. Addressing these issues requires facing the very tough complexities of extensively anthropized ecosystems whose understanding demands interaction between the full range of environmental sciences (ESs), i.e. earth, life, human and societal sciences. Interdisciplinarity is not an option, but a structural constraint. The author presents a comprehensive interdisciplinarity facility which he designed within the French CNRS and implements since 2007 to address with this situation: the Human-Environment Observatories (Observatoires hommes-milieux, OHMs). Thirteen of these have been created in France and in other countries in 2019. In 2012 they were the French Governement’s PIA1 laureate with the Labex DRIIHM (InterDisciplinary Research Facility on Human-Environment Interactions) for an 8 years funding which has just been renewed for 5 years (2020-2024). The OHMs are dedicated to the study of heavily anthropized sites hit by a “disrupting event” which has upset the ecological, economic and social balances that have developed over decades in the local socio-ecological conditions (for instance, a coalfield mine and its shutdown). In this paper, the author states the qualities needed for this interdisciplinary work in order to deal with these social ecological issues, and specifies the definition of multi-, inter- and trans-disciplinarity. He remarks that, within the OHMs, an “enlightened disciplinarity” spontaneously develops between all ESs due to a heuristic open-minded attitude called “indisciplinarity”. Three examples of this mode of functioning are presented. They highlight the flexibility and simplicity of the process and its efficacy in developing links among scientists and between these and society in a sustainable development outlook. The OHMs facility provides one of the possibilities to take up the challenge of confronting the hypercomplex ecosytemic crises that arise in highly anthropised socio-ecosystems.