interdependentsus

Interdependentsus is a term used to describe the state in which the components of a system are mutually dependent, such that the action or failure of one part affects the others. The concept foregrounds relationships and connectivity as primary drivers of system behavior, rather than isolated, autonomous actors.

The term is not standardized in scholarly literature and is mainly encountered in theoretical discussions of systems thinking, governance, and social relations. It combines ideas of interdependence with emphasis on dependence as a structural feature, highlighting how connectivity creates mutual obligations, constraints, and feedback among system elements.

In ecological networks, for example, species rely on one another for food, pollination, and nutrient cycling; in global commerce, supply chains depend on multiple regions for inputs, making disruptions reverberate across economies; in urban settings, water, energy, and information flows bind institutions and individuals into a shared urban metabolism.

Understanding interdependentsus offers insight into both cooperation and fragility. It supports governance approaches that emphasize coordination, risk assessment, redundancy, and resilience, while recognizing limits on autonomy. Critics warn that the term can mask power imbalances or overstate cohesion in diverse or unequal systems, where actors have competing interests despite interconnections.