ABSTRACT
Wicked problems are problems that not only have complex causes and thus require complex solutions. They are problems whose very definition as problems is debated and disputed, so that different interpretations of causes and solutions compete to define “the problem” in question. We live in a world chock full of wicked problems, of which anthropogenic climate and its knock-on effects is a prime example. This chapter outlines the difference between ‘tame’ and ‘wicked’ problems and describes ‘clumsy solutions’ as the appropriate goal for decision makers and societies that have to live with wicked problems.
