Confronting complexity

The analysis of flood risks gives us an overview the hazards, elements at risk, and their vulnerability within a certain region, namely in floodplains. In these landscape elements, determinants risk—hazard, exposure, vulnerability—overlap spatially. Flood risk synthesises factors thus provides important basis for decision-making managing risks. many cases, today's decisions set framework future quite long time, least lifetime protection measures. At same our problems management result from unintended consequences past solutions. These legacy effects sometimes narrow degree freedom problem-solving. Environmental societal conditions that had shaped markedly changed since then, will do so future. Thus, are far away being static but dynamically evolving with changing hazards might be altered by climatic changes, environmental changes on catchment runoffs, or river morphology. River systems floodplains adapt to boundary can considered as complex adaptive (Thoms & Sheldon, 2019). Complexity increases further if we take human behaviour adaptation into account. Exposure follow economic growth, evolve along values, awareness, technology. processes forces shape evolution numerous, diverse, work different scales. They interdependent, influence each other, coevolve, balance other out, amplify other. Feedback self-reinforce dampen Out interactions, new patterns change system may emerge higher order level another scale (Neal et al., 2011). events foster paradigm shift practice (Johnson 2005). is also encountered practice. Professionals involved participatory planning know about diversity multiplicity perspectives stakeholders Decision-making embedded touches large policies, strategies, measures disciplines. Managing therefore requires intervening multiple scales, problem local matching shaping funding legislation frameworks regional, national, international scales such EU Floods Directive (EC, 2007) agreements transnational basins (e.g., Danube, Rhine, Mekong). Multiple often complicate project more they lead emergence robust resilient solutions out seemingly irresolvable conflicts interest objectives. Therefore, variety ability understand confront complexity management. Looking dynamics risks, is, looking how space adds dimension analysis. addition quantifying current system, dynamic perspective points trajectory continuous process (Schanze, 2006). This information near which influencing most. Consequently, interventions reduction governance focus those factors. However, analysing evolution, research have arising interactions between risk. To able predict must all relevant drivers well feedback some drivers. We consider time lags, non-linear sensitivities change, emergence, path dependence, hierarchy, systems. this issue, examples features shown. Addison-Atkinson al. (2022) review microbial due sewer flooding, neglected indirect impact. Azimi show amplified socio-economical changes. A key social institutional vulnerabilities (Alves 2022). Yang floods companies cascades through supply chain disruptions. Van Woerkom example effect it influences It now confronting instead reducing manageable small topics. helps approach several wicked multi-disciplinary framework. Journal Risk Management covers full breadth depth topic mitigation era both whole processes, precipitation impacts, management, in-depth specific complexity. Continued effort needed develop methods considering By editorial published. Professor Burrell Motz retired Editorial Board Journal. would like thank her considerable contribution over years service welcome Dr Brian Cook University Melbourne member Board.