ABSTRACT
In dealing with complex problems actors are confronted with uncertainty. A major source of uncertainty has to do with the difficulty they experience in determining the nature of the problem. Often crucial information or knowledge is lacking or not instantly available. But this is not the only source of uncertainty about content of the problem. Often the problem is not so much the lack of information and knowledge, but its status. The interpretation of information and the establishment of meaning may be problematic and become the subject of conflict. The development of the knowledge conflict about the environmental impacts of zinc in the Netherlands, described in Box 2.1, provides an illustration of this.
