Risk communication
Contents
Risk communication
"Risk communication is an interactive process of exchange of information and opinion on risk among risk assessors, risk managers, and other interested parties."[1]
Risk communication should be an ongoing integral part of risk assessment and anaylses and risk response activities. Interested parties include all stakeholders, govemment agencies, corporations and industry groups, unions, the media, scientists, professional organizations, public interest groups, and individual citizens[2]
To be highly effective, risk communication should be planned and implemented systematically, based on an overall risk communicaiton strategy. Decisions on risk communication include "What?", "Whom?" and "How?".
- Certain (objective) risks are not perceived. This limits action in mitigation and preparation and capacities in response to both risks and events.
- Risks from urban infrastructure and structures can get misperceived.
- Effective risk communication reduces and compensates gaps between felt and factual risks/security:
Effective risk communication, sensitization and adequate risk management can help to correct negative effects from public risk (mis-)perception and hazard over- and underestimation, which is also essential for the legitimacy of urban planning. Risk management by authorities has to be coherent with societal risk perception and views.[3]
Approaches how to address it
- Involve the public and all stakeholder groups from the beginning of development and planning projects.
- Inform citizens and stakeholders on risks of planned objects before construction but in the planning process.
- Cooperate with other stakeholders (municipalities, mayors, public media etc.) to elaborate comprehensive risk communication concepts.
- Consider risk communication as integral part of project planning and the whole planning and development procedure.
- Use citizen participation methods to involve citizens in the planning procedure, in particular local open dialogue methods.
- A foundation for optimizing public risk communication is addressing citizens’ felt risks to urban infrastructure and their needs to protect that infrastructure.
Related subjects and further information
- The Center For Risk Communication provides services and information on critical issues management and risk communication: URL: http://centerforriskcommunication.org/ [2012-10-17].
- For "Risk Communication Guidelines for Public Officials" see URL: http://www.hhs.gov/od/documents/RiskCommunication.pdf [2012-10-17].
- Principles, foundations, benefits and barriers of risk communication can be found on URL: http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/pubs/prevrpt/archives/95fm1.htm [2012-10-17].
Footnotes and references
- ↑ WHO (2012): Food safety. Risk communication. Retrieved from: URL: http://www.who.int/foodsafety/micro/riskcommunication/en/ [2012-10-17].
- ↑ Renn O. (1991): Risk communication and the social amplification of risk. In: Kasperson R.E. , Stallen P.l .M. (eds.), Communicating the Pu.blic. 287-324. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
- ↑ OECD: OECD Reviews of Risk Management Policies. Future Global Shocks. Improving Risk Governance. Preliminary Version. OECD Publishing, 2011. Online: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/24/36/48256382.pdf.
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