Toward Sustainable Decision Making

In this chapter, we analyze the issue of sustainable decision making for successful coastal flood management. In this framework, sustainable development is a key concept. This is defined as a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only today, but also for future generations (WCED, 1987). The concept implies the consideration of spatial and temporal dimensions, system components (i.e., economic, social and environmental aspects), and the interactions between these components. On the one hand, development is a dynamic process and a function of its dimensions and components. On the other hand, sustainability is complex and adaptive and can be achieved via innumerable paths, yielding contrasting results for system components. Decision making is also a dynamic process and is carried out at different levels of society, considering cultural, social, economic, institutional, political, and environmental differences. This process requires the design of a strategy, the definition of policies, and the implementation of actions. As a result, different types of information are required at different stages of the decision-making cycle (Winograd & Farrow, 2013). Thus, key to successful coastal flood management is the use of mitigation techniques that are appropriate for the local circumstances. This is best achieved if all alternatives are reviewed to identify the most efficient individual or suite of options for consideration by stakeholders and decision makers.