Wicked problems and creeping crises: A framework for analyzing governance challenges to addressing environmental land-use problems
Ende, Mandy A. van den; Hegger, Dries L.T.; Mees, Heleen L.P.; Driessen, Peter P.J.
(2023) Environmental Science & Policy, volume 141, pp. 168 - 177
(Article)
Abstract
Human societies face significant difficulties in the governance of environmental land-use problems. The challenges involved must be thoroughly understood to develop effective and legitimate governance of these often inherently wicked problems. However, in environmental governance literature, governance challenges have been described rather generally, and the characteristic features of different types
... read more
of problems have not been specified. Drawing on this literature, this paper presents an analytical framework for governance challenges typical of a “wicked problem” and a “creeping crisis”. We empirically illustrate the combined framework by applying it to the environmental land-use problem of land subsidence in the Dutch peatlands. Land subsidence exemplifies a wicked problem because it is neither definable nor solvable. Due to the lack of effective governance, the problem has allowed threats with crisis potential to develop. However, land subsidence represents a “creeping” crisis because, despite the increasing risk of damage, there is little sense of urgency. The case study illustrates that governance challenges posed by such problems often originate from a lack of comprehensive sense-making of these problems’ complexity and that responses, therefore, tend to be counterproductive. Hence, the paper empirically substantiates the need for governance approaches that help achieve the systemic change that is arguably needed to address environmental land-use problems adequately.
show less
Download/Full Text
Keywords: Environmental land-use problems, Wicked problem, Creeping crisis, Governance challenges, Land subsidence, Dutch peatlands
ISSN: 1462-9011
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Note: Funding Information: The research presented in this paper is part of the project Living on soft soils: subsidence and society (grantnr.: NWA.1160.18.259 ), which is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO-NWA-ORC), Utrecht University , Wageningen University , Delft University of Technology , Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management , Ministry of the Interior & Kingdom Relations, Deltares, Wageningen Environmental Research , TNO-Geological Survey of The Netherlands, STOWA, Water Authority: Hoogheemraadschap de Stichtse Rijnlanden, Water Authority: Drents Overijsselse Delta, Province of Utrecht, Province of Zuid-Holland, Municipality of Gouda, Platform Soft Soil, Sweco, Tauw BV, NAM. The authors thank Joy Burrough for professionally language editing a near-final version of the text. We also thank our respondents for the interviews. Funding Information: The research presented in this paper is part of the project Living on soft soils: subsidence and society (grantnr.: NWA.1160.18.259), which is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO-NWA-ORC), Utrecht University, Wageningen University, Delft University of Technology, Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management, Ministry of the Interior & Kingdom Relations, Deltares, Wageningen Environmental Research, TNO-Geological Survey of The Netherlands, STOWA, Water Authority: Hoogheemraadschap de Stichtse Rijnlanden, Water Authority: Drents Overijsselse Delta, Province of Utrecht, Province of Zuid-Holland, Municipality of Gouda, Platform Soft Soil, Sweco, Tauw BV, NAM. The authors thank Joy Burrough for professionally language editing a near-final version of the text. We also thank our respondents for the interviews. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors
(Peer reviewed)