As read in chapter 2 of Sustainable World, a wicked problem is said to be “a difficult problem that cannot be addressed using only traditional approaches such as scientific and technological advances and require continuous attention because they can never be completely resolved.” A wicked problem consists of six main characteristics: vague problem, undefined solution, no end point, irreversibility, uniqueness and urgency. Growing up in Chicago there were a lot of “wicked problems” pertaining to water infrastructure. One problem happened to be floods. Floods have affected 23,000 people overtime with flooded basements including me.
Many have asked the question “what causes floods in Chicago?” To answer that question, they are primarily caused by heavy rainstorms and limited drainage. During the summer and spring time, Chicago is a place where intense storms take place and have people wondering how bad the water will be inside their homes. Heavy storms overwhelm certain people because not only does water get into their house, but they’re also wondering how high the water is outdoors due to the drainage caused from sewage backup. During heavy rainfalls and flash floods my family and I are typically in for a rude awakening. When waking up in the morning and going downstairs in our basement there are always huge puddles of water.
During intense storms, sewers are filled with water and any additional water that’s already there will fill up the basements. It is stated that the government is trying to fix this wicked problem but there are too many sewers around Chicago to try to really do something about it. The city’s goal is to keep as much water as possible out of the sewers during the heaviest rains. The community and people who are affected by this main question is how will you do just that when you’re not willing to put the work in towards doing it?
In the text, it is stated that a vague problem has multiple and diverse stakeholders involved. A vague problem is one of the six characteristics of a wicked problem. Water floods can be considered a vague problem because multiple people can all see this one problem differently and the impact it has on the solution can make it harder for the government to solve. For example, in July of 2023 there were 2,000 people effected by a flood that was nearly 9 inches of water and some others weren’t affected. In this scenario the impact of this varies because of how badly some people were affected down to those who weren’t affected as badly.
An undefined solution is where there is no one definite solution to a problem. This is also considered an undefined solution because there is no solution that fully addresses flooding. With floodings being a difficult issue that can arise with different information and sources, it makes it harder to find a solution. As the government stated, there is not just one plan to solve this problem. Also, as stated, the government has a plan without a plan. It is said that the city plans aren’t as good as the people want and need them to be.
Water floods are also referred to as a problem with no end point. The text states “when a solution is implemented, new problems arise because wicked problems are embedded in interconnected and complex systems, which makes them prone to cascading effects and unintended consequences. Flooding will always be a problem because it’ll never stop raining. By weather and climate being an ongoing cycle that’ll always change and cannot completely come to a stop, this will have an impact on flooding. On top of that, there will be times that we cannot predict rainstorms and by it being unforeseen there will be a need for just being prepared for it.
Irreversible means that the effectiveness of a solution cannot be verified prior to implementation through low stakes trial-and-error testing. Floods can be seen as irreversible in the sense of people living in the same predicament forever. People that have hopes of having the problem fixed are only living in their hopes. The factors of floods make this a challenge. The solutions that the city has in mind are not necessarily good enough due to many circumstances.
The fifth characteristic of a wicked problem is its uniqueness. Unique in this case means that the same solution will not work effectively in all places. With multiple factors being involved with floods, the same solution will not work in every urban area. The city’s sewer system that manages the drainage and flood waters will then become overwhelmed making the water unmanageable to keep down. Floods can be worse in one are than another.
The last characteristic is urgency. “These problems are urgent because a failure to act will result in permanent harm to human and natural systems.” As of now the water that comes from the storms that get inside my house are not as bad. If the problem is not then solved, it will get worse for not only me and my family but also the people in my neighborhood and the others that are affected.
To conclude, various infrastructures face distinct challenges. Flooding in Chicago is considered a wicked problem and will always be one worldwide. There are solutions that can help this case but would need different solutions for different environments. It is shown that this problem cannot be solved but can be managed.