International Association for Impact Assessment

A wicked problem

  • Guest post by Roel Slootweg, IAIA member

    A wicked problem

    For whom do we protect biodiversity?

    Above:  A non-native bird (Western Great Egret) catching an endemic protected fish (Spined Loach) in The Netherlands.

    Below: A fisherman in northern Cameroon catching an African Bonytongue (Heterotis niloticus).

    The bird is violating the law and shouldn’t be there in the first place; the man is overexploiting a fish stock, but has to eat in the first place.

    This is a wicked problem, since the social and ecological experts probably don’t even agree on a problem defintion. 

    What do you think the problem definition is?


    Photos by Roel Slootweg.

    Do you have thoughts after reading this post?  IAIA members, log in to join the discussion at IAIAConnect in the Members group.

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