Spectrum of Environmental Risk Assessment, Management, and Communication

Abstract

AbstractEnvironmental risks have a broad spectrum of issues. Effluent from mines, industrial wastewater, contaminated fish and rice, and polluted air have resulted in severe health problems worldwide, especially since the late 1950s. The Government of Japan has made tremendous efforts to establish and improve regulations to protect the environment. In many cases, effective countermeasures took a long time to implement as there was a need for concrete scientific evidence. It is necessary to continuously improve environmental risk assessment and management frameworks, not only to revise standards but also to improve the methods used for risk assessment, management, and communication, mainly based on scientific risk assessment/management schemes driven by precautionary approaches. The policies should include further consideration of the future environment and their social impacts. In addition, factors related to financial and management sustainability should be considered, as there is a severe decrease in population in many local areas in Japan. Careful mutual risk communication and consensus formation are important to optimize regulation.KeywordsEnvironmental riskRegulationEnvironmental disease burdenPrecautionary approach