Uncertainty, Complexity and the Environment

This chapter characterizes uncertainty in the resource and environmental policy domain, and research, policy and management responses. It moves from a general orientation to a practical and empirical one to illustrate contemporary challenges. The first section offers a general perspective on the domain and the forms of and responses to uncertainty. Summary tables are used to convey major features of the domain as space does not permit full description (for further detail see WCED, 1987; Berkhout et al, 2003; Page and Proops, 2004; Steffen et al, 2004; Dovers, 2005). Later sections examine a contemporary water supply, catchment management and disaster recovery case study to extend these general themes.