Risk Communication
What is risk communication? The 1989 report on Improving Risk Communication, prepared by the Committee on Risk Perception and Communications of the US National Research Council, defined risk communication as:
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Risk Communication
9.1
Introduction
What is risk communication? The 1989 report on Improving Risk Communication, prepared by the Committee on Risk Perception and Communications of the US National Research Council, defined risk communication as: An interactive process of exchange of information and opinion among individuals, groups and institutions. It involves multiple messages about the nature of risk and other messages, not strictly about risk, that express concerns, opinions or reactions to risk messages or to legal and institutional arrangements for risk management (US National Research Council 1989:21).
The ultimate goal of risk communication is to assist stakeholders and the public at large in understanding the rationale of a risk-based (risk-informed) decision, and to arrive at a balanced judgment that reflects the factual evidence about the matter at hand in relation to their own interests and values. In other words, good practices in risk communication are meant to help all affected parties to make informed choices about matters of concern to them. At the same time, the purpose of risk communication should not be seen as an attempt to convince people, such as the consumers of a risk-bearing product, that the communicator (e.g. a government agency that has issued advice concerning the product) has done the right thing. It is rather the purpose of risk communication to provide people with all the insights they need in order to make decisions or judgments that reflect the best available knowledge and their own preferences. Most people show a distinct sensitivity to risks with respect to health and environment. Comparative cross-cultural studies (Rohrmann and Renn 2000) confirm that people all over the world are concerned about the health risks and the environmental quality. Risks pertaining to complex health threats and environmental changes are difficult to communicate because they are usually effective only over a longer time period, may induce negative impacts only in combination with other risk factors and can hardly be detected by human senses (Peltu 1985, 1989;
T. Aven and O. Renn, Risk Management and Governance, Risk, Governance and Society 16, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-13926-0_9, # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010
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9 Risk Communication
Morgan et al. 2001). Risk communication in the field of health and environment therefore needs to address the following major challenges: l l l l
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Explain the concept of probability and stochastic effects. Cope with different time scales, such as long-term effects. Provide an understanding of synergistic effects with other lifestyle factors. Improve the credibility of the agencies and institutions that provide risk information (which is crucial in situations where personal experience is lacking and people depend upon neutral and disinterested information). Cope with the diversity of stakeholders and parties in the risk management phase. Cope with intercultural differences within pluralist societies and between different nations and cultures.
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