Editing Adaptive management (section)

{{short description|Adaptive environmental assessment and management (AEAM)}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=October 2012}}

'''Adaptive management''', also known as '''adaptive resource management''' or '''adaptive environmental assessment and management''', is a structured, [[iteration|iterative]] process of robust [[decision making]] in the face of [[uncertainty]], with an aim to reducing uncertainty over time via [[system monitoring]]. In this way, decision making simultaneously meets one or more [[resource management]] objectives and, either passively or actively, accrues information needed to improve future management. Adaptive management is a tool which should be used not only to change a system, but also to learn about the system.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management|last=Holling|first=C.S.|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=1978|isbn=9781932846072}}</ref> Because adaptive management is based on a learning process, it improves long-run management outcomes. The challenge in using the adaptive management approach lies in finding the correct balance between gaining knowledge to improve management in the future and achieving the best short-term outcome based on current knowledge.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EMxPZu99B_MC|title=Adaptive Environmental Management: A Practitioner's Guide|last1=Allan|first1=Catherine|last2=Stankey|first2=George Henry|date=2009-06-05|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=9781402096327}}</ref> This approach has more recently been employed in implementing [[international development]] programs.