Analyzing Sustainability Problems

Review
Dr. Auriane Koster
School of Sustainability

Course SOS 320 Society and Sustainability

ASU-SOS | Fall 2015

Copyright 2012 2014 Dr. Arnim Wiek. Used with Permission

Sustainability problem identified

Prerequisite conditions for solving met

So what now ?

Problem-Solving Framework

I
Complex
Problem
Assessm
Identify
Identify ent Analyze
Analyze
What is the
problem?

III

II

Strategy
Design & Testing

Sustainable
Goal
Visioning

How do we get
from here to there?

What is the
goal?

Sustainability Problems in Public Discourse

1. End-of-pipe thinking

3 Cs Crimes, catastrophes, casualties

Case Study Pirates, Somalia; pesticides drifts; oil spill

in Gulf of Mexico

2. Simplistic causal thinking

Case Study Childhood Obesity

3. Overwhelmingly complex causal thinking

Case Study Childhood Obesity

The Focus of Public Attention

USA TODAY | Nov 20, 2008

News is dramatic, superficial and episodic

Focus is on events and incidents not drivers and causes
Media has a profound effect on our perceptions,
opinions, cognition, and emotions
Not just news film, music, culture
Not by accident, by design
Journalism schools
Editorial practices
Influence by vested interests

Simplistic Perspectives on Problems

Childhood Obesity

Overwhelming Complexity

Instead we need

Sufficient treatment of complexity

Looking back from effects to causes
Systems Thinking

Childhood Obesity A Sufficient Look

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/health/childhoodobesity/index.html?hpid=topnews

Childhood Obesity From Effects to Causes

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/health/childhoodobesity/profiles/

Giant Pandas Systems Thinking

But Wait What are we doing? And why??

Dissecting and clarifying the causal structures of

sustainability problems

Identifying critical intervention points and systems

relations

Without overwhelming the relevant stakeholders

Problem Analysis - Example

Begin with the manifestations and adverse effects

Work backwards to identify direct causes
Keep going back to identify root causes
At each step, identify the relevant stakeholders

Informal Gold Mining in the Philippines

Note: this example is shown for illustrative purposes
of the analytical framework and process. It is not
intended as a complete and accurate analysis of
the problem.

Understanding Causes of Informal

Gold Mining

Informal
Informal Gold
Gold Mining
Mining
Miners
Negative impacts on:
Health
Environment
Social relations
Villagers
Livelihoods

Understanding Causes of Informal

Gold Mining

Working
Working Practices
Practices
(extraction,
(extraction, smelting,
smelting,
disposal,
sellling)
disposal, sellling)

Informal
Informal Gold
Gold Mining
Mining
Miners
Negative impacts on:
Health
Environment
Social relations
Villagers
Livelihoods

Understanding Causes of Informal

Gold Mining
Economic
Economic necessity
necessity
Profit
Profit
Miners

Middlemen

Middlemen

Working
Working Practices
Practices

(extraction,
(extraction, smelting,
smelting,
disposal,
sellling)
disposal, sellling) Miners

Informal
Informal Gold
Gold Mining
Mining
Miners
Negative impacts on:
Health
Environment
Social relations
Villagers
Livelihoods

Understanding Causes of Informal

Gold Mining
Simple to use process

Middlemen

Economic
Economic necessity
necessity
Profit
Profit

Readily
Readily Available
Available
Technology
Technology

Miners

Use of mercury without

adequate safety

Middlemen

Middlemen

Working
Working Practices
Practices

(extraction,
(extraction, smelting,
smelting,
disposal,
sellling)
disposal, sellling) Miners

Gold Price
Local buying outlets

Middlemen

Informal
Informal Gold
Gold Mining
Mining

Gold
Gold Market
Market
Anyone can sell. No questions
Mining extraction sites

Politicians

Land
Land Use
Use Permissions
Permissions
Activities on domestic property

Traders

Miners
Negative impacts on:
Health
Environment
Social relations
Villagers
Livelihoods

Understanding Causes of Informal

Lack
Lack of
of regulations
regulations
Gold Mining
Politicians

Importers

Mercury
Mercury Supply
Supply Chain
Chain
Corruption
Corruption

Simple to use process

Politicians

Middlemen

Economic
Economic necessity
necessity
Profit
Profit

Readily
Readily Available
Available
Technology
Technology

Miners

Use of mercury without

adequate safety

Lack
Lack of
of economic
economic
resources
resources

Middlemen

Miners

Working
Working Practices
Practices

(extraction,
(extraction, smelting,
smelting,
disposal,
sellling)
disposal, sellling) Miners

Lack
Lack of
of Knowledge
Knowledge
Of
Of risks
risks
Gold Price
Local buying outlets

Values
Values of
of profit
profit
Middlemen Importers Traders

Middlemen

Middlemen

Informal
Informal Gold
Gold Mining
Mining

Gold
Gold Market
Market
Anyone can sell. No questions
Mining extraction sites

Politicians

Land
Land Use
Use Permissions
Permissions
Activities on domestic property

Traders

Miners
Negative impacts on:
Health
Environment
Social relations
Villagers
Livelihoods

So what did we just do?

How can we use this for any sustainability
problem?

Understanding Causes of Informal

Lack
Lack of
of regulations
regulations
Gold Mining
Politicians

Importers

Mercury
Mercury Supply
Supply Chain
Chain
Corruption
Corruption

Simple to use process

Politicians

Middlemen

Economic
Economic necessity
necessity
Profit
Profit

Readily
Readily Available
Available
Technology
Technology

Miners

Use of mercury without

adequate safety

Lack
Lack of
of economic
economic
resources
resources

Middlemen

Miners

Working
Working Practices
Practices

(extraction,
(extraction, smelting,
smelting,
disposal,
sellling)
disposal, sellling) Miners

Lack
Lack of
of Knowledge
Knowledge
Of
Of risks
risks
Gold Price
Local buying outlets

Values
Values of
of profit
profit
Middlemen Importers Traders

Middlemen

Middlemen

Informal
Informal Gold
Gold Mining
Mining

Gold
Gold Market
Market
Anyone can sell. No questions
Mining extraction sites

Politicians

Land
Land Use
Use Permissions
Permissions
Activities on domestic property

Traders

Adverse Miners
Negative impacts on:
Effects
Health
Environment
Social relations
Livelihoods

Villagers

Understanding Causes of Informal

Lack
Lack of
of regulations
regulations
Gold Mining
Politicians

Importers

Mercury
Mercury Supply
Supply Chain
Chain
Corruption
Corruption

Simple to use process

Politicians

Middlemen

Economic
Economic necessity
necessity
Profit
Profit

Readily
Readily Available
Available
Technology
Technology

Miners

Use of mercury without

adequate safety

Actions,Middlemen
Activities,
Working
Practices
Working
Practices
(extraction,
(extraction, smelting,
smelting,
Behavior
disposal,
sellling)
disposal, sellling) Miners

Lack
Lack of
of economic
economic
resources
resources
Miners

Lack
Lack of
of Knowledge
Knowledge
Of
Of risks
risks
Gold Price
Local buying outlets

Values
Values of
of profit
profit
Middlemen Importers Traders

Middlemen

Middlemen

Informal
Informal Gold
Gold Mining
Mining

Gold
Gold Market
Market
Anyone can sell. No questions
Mining extraction sites

Politicians

Land
Land Use
Use Permissions
Permissions
Activities on domestic property

Traders

Adverse Miners
Negative impacts on:
Effects
Health
Environment
Social relations
Livelihoods

Villagers

Understanding Causes of Informal

Lack
Lack of
of regulations
regulations
Gold Mining
Politicians

Importers

Mercury
Mercury Supply
Supply Chain
Chain
Corruption
Corruption

Simple to use process

Politicians

Middlemen

Economic
Economic necessity
necessity
Profit
Profit

Readily
Readily Available
Available
Technologies
Technology
Technology
& Use
Infrastructures
of mercury without

Miners

Middlemen

adequate safety

Actions,Middlemen
Activities,
Working
Practices
Working
Practices
(extraction,
(extraction, smelting,
smelting,
Behavior
disposal,
sellling)
disposal, sellling) Miners

Lack
Lack of
of economic
economic
resources
resources
Miners

Lack
Lack of
of Knowledge
Knowledge
Of
Of risks
risks
Gold Price

Values
Values of
of profit
profit
Middlemen Importers Traders

Middlemen

Technologies
Local buying outlets
Gold
Gold Market
Market
& Infrastructures
Anyone can sell. No questions

TechnologiesPoliticians
Land
Use
Land
Use Permissions
Permissions
&
Infrastructures
Mining extraction sites

Activities on domestic property

Traders

Informal
Informal Gold
Gold Mining
Mining

Adverse Miners
Negative impacts on:
Effects
Health
Environment
Social relations
Livelihoods

Villagers

Understanding Causes of Informal

Lack
Lack of
of regulations
regulations
Gold Mining
Politicians

Importers

Mercury
Mercury Supply
Supply Chain
Chain
Corruption
Corruption

Simple to use process

Politicians

Middlemen

Readily
Readily Available
Available
Technologies
Technology
Technology
& Use
Infrastructures
of mercury without

Beneficial
Economic
Economic necessity
necessity
Profit
Profit
Effects
Miners

Middlemen

adequate safety

Actions,Middlemen
Activities,
Working
Practices
Working
Practices
(extraction,
(extraction, smelting,
smelting,
Behavior
disposal,
sellling)
disposal, sellling) Miners

Lack
Lack of
of economic
economic
resources
resources
Miners

Lack
Lack of
of Knowledge
Knowledge
Of
Of risks
risks
Gold Price

Values
Values of
of profit
profit
Middlemen Importers Traders

Middlemen

Technologies
Local buying outlets
Gold
Gold Market
Market
& Infrastructures
Anyone can sell. No questions

TechnologiesPoliticians
Land
Use
Land
Use Permissions
Permissions
&
Infrastructures
Mining extraction sites

Activities on domestic property

Traders

Informal
Informal Gold
Gold Mining
Mining

Adverse Miners
Negative impacts on:
Effects
Health
Environment
Social relations
Livelihoods

Villagers

Understanding Causes of Informal

Lack
Lack of
of regulations
regulations
Gold Mining
Politicians

Importers

Mercury
Mercury Supply
Supply Chain
Chain

Rules
Corruption
Corruption

Simple to use process

Politicians

Middlemen

Readily
Readily Available
Available
Technologies
Technology
Technology
& Use
Infrastructures
of mercury without

Beneficial
Economic
Economic necessity
necessity
Profit
Profit
Effects
Miners

Middlemen

adequate safety

Lack
Resources
Lack of
of economic
economic

Actions,Middlemen
Activities,
Working
Practices
Working
Practices
(extraction,
(extraction, smelting,
smelting,
Behavior
disposal,
sellling)
disposal, sellling) Miners

resources
resources

Miners

Lack
Lack of
of Knowledge
Knowledge
Of
Of risks
risks

Knowledge

Gold Price

Values
Values of
of profit
profit
Middlemen Importers Traders

Motives

Middlemen

Technologies
Local buying outlets
Gold
Gold Market
Market
& Infrastructures
Anyone can sell. No questions

TechnologiesPoliticians
Land
Use
Land
Use Permissions
Permissions
&
Infrastructures
Mining extraction sites

Activities on domestic property

Traders

Informal
Informal Gold
Gold Mining
Mining

Adverse Miners
Negative impacts on:
Effects
Health
Environment
Social relations
Livelihoods

Villagers

A Tool for Problem Analysis

Should be

Functional.

Systemic.

Pragmatic.

Immediate & Root Causes

Motives
Motives

Causing
Stakeholders

Effects
3

Benefits
Benefits

Actions,
Actions, Activities
Activities
&
& Behavior
Behavior

Knowledge
Knowledge

Benefiting
Benefiting
Stakeholders
Stakeholders

Rules
Rules
Resources
Resources

Technologies
Technologies &
&
Infrastructures
Infrastructures

Detrimental
Detrimental
Effects
Effects

Affected
Affected
Stakeholders
Stakeholders

1
Problem Analysis
Entry Point