Basic principles on Risk Communication

1. Basic principles on Risk Communication Cristiana Salvi Information and Outreach Unit Special Programme on Health and Environment WHO Regional Office for Europe

2. Risk Communication is embedded in risk management • Risk communication is a key feature of any crisis response and should assume a central role in risk management. • Risk Communication fills the gap between risk assessment and risk perception. • The over-arching communication goal during a crisis is to communicate with the public in ways that build, maintain or restore trust, guiding appropriate participation to support the rapid containment of a crisis.

3. Risk Communication is about involving the public • Risk communication was developed in the West in the late 1980's, largely in response to environmental controversies where danger was low or uncertain.  • As the public became more vocal, it was clear that it did not perceive risk the same way as experts. • Research into the public's views of risk began, compared with the "expert model" of the risk. • The older one-way model of transferring information (the experts "educating the public") began to give way to a two-way model of dialogue and public involvement. It is nearly impossible to design successful messages that bridge the knowledge gap between the expert and the lay public without knowing what the lay public thinks.

4. Risk Communication is made up of 4 strategies 1. Trust, credibility, accountability, honesty, and transparency Informing and involving various publics early in a crisis, being open and honest about what is known and unknown, helps build trust and credibility, strongly associated with public acceptance of official guidance. 2. Message content issues – agreement and debate The right amount of concern related to the risk would prompt action without generating panic. 3. Emotion, empathy, and compassion Experts are perceived as more credible and trustworthy when they validate their publics’ concerns, empathize with their fears, and act as role models for realistic “human” coping behavior. 4. Planning, public assessment, evaluation, message development, and internal communication. A risk communication plan should be ready before need, and be changed at all times to fit the evolution of the crisis.

5. Risk Communication is relevantfor health and environment (HE) Ministerial Declaration, Budapest 25th June 2004 We affirm the importance of and need for communication with the public at large on environment and health (…) We invite international organizations to help address this issue (…) with the development of guidelines on risk communication as an important tool for bringing environmental health considerations to the attention of different sectors and for heightening public awareness Non biological hazards, such as chemical and radiation, can pose communication challenges. An acute exposure to chemicals following a chemical accidents or an episode of terrorism, can have minimal acute effects on population but create a lot of anxiety with respect to long term effects of unknown dimension and origin.

6. HE Risk Communication accountsfor short and long-term effects Short-term effects Long-term effects Acute exposure Chronic exposure

7. HE Risk Communication acknowledges uncertainty • In environmental controversies danger is often low or uncertain (mainly with long term effects). • Acknowledging uncertainty is one of the key component of HE risk communication. • Categorical reassurance that turns out wrong often leads to excessive alarm and increased mistrust.

8. HE Risk Communication Thank you