I am an engineer by training.
Therefore I learned management and administration from system thinking perspectives, not humanistic or managerial approach.
System thinking looks into the entire system, not merely on specific services or issues.
In water management for example, system thinking is more appropriate compared to non-systemic thinking. Non-systemic thinking treats each problem separately: flooding becomes a drainage problem, pollution becomes a river-cleaning problem, and water shortage becomes a supply problem.
System thinking instead asks: What relationships within the wider system are producing the problem?
Malaysia provides a useful example. Flooding is influenced not only by rainfall but also by land-use change, urbanisation, increased impervious surfaces, drainage capacity, river conditions, sedimentation and development in flood-prone areas. The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) therefore promotes Integrated Flood Management (IFM) and Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM), combining structural measures, land management, environmental protection, forecasting and stakeholder participation.
The Klang River Basin demonstrates this approach. Flood management increasingly incorporates rainfall and river monitoring, forecasting, water quality and coordination, and river trails for recreation and eco-tourism, among agencies rather than relying solely on larger drains.
Similarly, Malaysia’s Stormwater Management Manual (MSMA) requires attention to stormwater at the development stage, recognising that urban design affects downstream flooding.
The essential distinction is simple:
Non-systemic thinking fixes the problem.
System thinking redesigns the system that produces the problem.
For Malaysia, sustainable water management therefore requires seeing the whole river basin—not individual drains, rivers or projects in isolation.
(This is my answer to a question asked about the difference contributed by engineering expertise in addressing public policy)
Original Post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1YpyAcJzmQ/
Credit to: Professor Zaini Ujang
