Health, risk and decision-support research
The environment poses many risks to human health and well-being which are of great public concern and often the focus of contested decision-making. Similarly the environmental and human implications of technological activity and change can become a subject of controversy that creates profound challenges for society.
The research carried out within this cluster of the environmental social science group, some in conjunction with colleagues from Tyndall and CSERGE and from other parts of the School and University, makes a significant contribution to analysing these problems, and to developing and applying techniques that support the decision-making process.
Health researchers are exploring the health impacts of dynamic environmental factors, including flooding and cryptosporidiosis, exposure to sunlight and the risk of blindness. New research is investigating the effects of the built environment on physical activity, food consumption and obesity levels. More information
Research originally developed through core-funding from the Leverhulme Trust on public perceptions of risk and governance, with particular focus on some prominent contemporary issues, now continues in co-operation with colleagues worldwide on a range of technological issues, volcanic hazards, climate change and energy. More information
Research on decision-support methodologies has made significant contributions both to theory and practice, for instance work on the role of knowledge and expertise in decision-making under conditions of great uncertainty; design and implementation of innovative decision-support methodologies (such as participatory appraisal and visualisation methods); and developing new protocols for evaluating the effectiveness of environmental management tools and techniques. The use made of GIS cuts across both these categories. More information
Recent achievements by the group include:
- Completing the first real-time evaluation of a novel government-supported public engagement process (GM Nation?), stimulating high profile political response;
- Playing a prominent role in bringing analytic-deliberative risk characterization processes into ‘upstream’ technological assessments including radioactive waste disposal, biotechnologies and nanotechnologies;
- Influencing the UK government’s Managing Radioactive Waste Safely programme by providing advice on Strategic Environmental Appraisal to DEFRA and the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency;
- Introducing the concept of ‘obesogenic environments’ in the landmark Foresight report on obesity in 2007.
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