Conservation Letters· 2013Q1
Conservation in a Wicked Complex World; Challenges and Solutions
- 254citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2013year
Short summary
Conservation efforts often struggle with "wicked problems" due to outdated institutional structures and tools. This paper proposes adopting practices from other disciplines to better address complexity.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Conservation challenges are often "wicked problems" characterized by complexity and ambiguity.
- Existing conservation structures and tools are ill-suited for these complex systems.
- Practices from psychology, business, and military strategy can offer solutions.
- Key proposed solutions include clear objectives, scenario analysis, and decentralized decision-making.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Most conservation challenges are complex and possess all the characteristics of so called “wicked” problems. Despite widespread recognition of this complexity conservationists possess a legacy of institutional structures, tools and practices better suited to simpler systems. We highlight two specific challenges posed by this mismatch: the difficulty of adaptive management where success is ambiguous and the tension between “best practice” and creativity. Drawing on research in other disciplines (including psychology, information systems, business management, and military strategy) we suggest practices that conservation could consider to better respond to complexity. These practices include, defining clear objectives, the use of scenarios, emphasis on pattern analysis, and ensuring greater scope for creative and decentralized decision making. To help illustrate these challenges and solutions, we point to parallels between conservation and military operations.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Conservation Letters, 2013 · DOI ↗
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Field: Conservation
ConservationArts and Humanities