Environmental risk
Society is increasingly conscious of the harm that its activities can cause to the environment, and the harm to people or the loss of quality of life that can result from environmental degradation. Defra recognises the need to manage our activities in a way that minimises the risks of environmental damage, while at the same time ensuring economic growth and social progress. The interaction between human activity and the environment is complicated and difficult to quantify, and it is not easy to judge where the balance should lie between environmental protection and economic and technological progress. Environmental risk assessment is a key element in the appraisal of these complex problems, and for formulating and communicating the issues so that transparent and equitable policy, regulatory or other decisions can be taken.
The environmental risk issues addressed by Defra top the environmental and often the political agenda at home and internationally, and attract significant public interest. Defra has an important role in managing risk perception and ensuring that the issues of climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, radioactive waste, chemicals in the environment and GM technologies are clearly and independently assessed. Its research programmes have a huge impact on the way the public trusts science, and are clearly important for building trust in research across the whole of government.
The complex relationship between public trust and science based assessments of risk is discussed by Dr. Kevin Jones (University of Liverpool) in Understanding Risk In Everyday Policy Making. The report is the outcome of a secondment between Defra and the Leverhulme Trust's 'Programme on Understanding Risk.' It enquires into how the governance of risk is evolving in the day-to-day policy making activities of the Department's Climate, Energy and Environmental Risk Directorate.
(146 KB)One of today's potential risks is a Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear (CBRN) terrorist incident. In Great Britain, the Home Office would initially assume responsibility for dealing with the effects of this kind of emergency. Other departments including Defra, which also has the responsibility in England for co-ordinating the government's contribution to the decontamination and recovery phase of such incidents or emergencies in the open environment irrespective of the cause of the incident, would support the Home Office. At some point, to be determined on a case-by-case basis and once the crisis management phase is concluded, overall responsibility may pass to Defra.
Links to Defra guidance on environmental risks and accidents are on the left of this page.
Page last modified:
12 October 2005
Page published: 5 March 2004