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Applying Systems Thinking to Coastal Infrastructure Systems

Coastal communities have an uncertain future as municipalities grapple with an increase in the frequency of coastal flooding. This article offers a simple approach to make decisions based on systems thinking. The objective of this article is to explore how to represent the coast as a system, how to apply systems thinking to coastal infrastructure, and to offer a framework to employ an integrated systems approach. The framework aids a community to map its future in the face of the changing coastal waters and a way to assess if they are moving toward a solution. It also provides a disciplined way of structured thinking to judge a problem and determine whether a hard or soft systems approach is appropriate. This kind of thinking is necessary for a community to plan capital improvement investments that are compatible with an uncertain future brought about by climate change.