Addressing Complexity in Environmental Management and Governance
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Authors
Governance for complex problem solving has been increasingly discussed in environmental sustainability research. Above all, researchers continuously observe that sustainability problems are complex or “wicked”, and suggest participatory models to address these problems in practice. In order to add to this debate, this study suggests a more differentiated theoretical approach to define governance for complex environmental problem solving than in previous studies. The approach consists of two vital steps: First, we operationalize complexity and define management strategies for solving environmental sustainability problems based on findings from psychology research. Second, we identify governance strategies that facilitate these management strategies. Linking those strategies suggests that the role of diverse institutions, actors, and interactions differs for five key dimensions of complexity: goals, variables, dynamics, interconnections, and informational uncertainty. The results strengthen systematic analyses of environmental sustainability problems in both theory and practice.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 983 |
Journal | Sustainability |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 6 |
Number of pages | 18 |
ISSN | 2071-1050 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 07.06.2017 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 by the authors.
- Computer Science (miscellaneous)
- Hardware and Architecture
- Energy Engineering and Power Technology
- Computer Networks and Communications
- Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
- SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
Sustainable Development Goals
- Sustainability Science - complex problems, complex problem solving, governance, Integrated Water Resources Management, Water Framework Directive, wicked problems