From risk communication to risk Culture:Building the bridge with tools and methods to empower population under environmental risk

• Grant number: 14/07014-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: September 01, 2014 - February 28, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Cintia Okamura
• Grantee: Cintia Okamura
• Host Institution: Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo (CETESB). Secretaria do Meio Ambiente (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Adelaide Cassia Nardocci ; Cristiano Kenji Iwai ; Elton Gloeden ; Iris Regina Fernandes Poffo ; Jacques Lolive ; Jean-Paul Thibaud ; Maria Ines Zanoli Sato ; Maria Tereza Pepe Razzolini ; Rúbia Kuno

Abstract

Some situations of inability and mismatch have been noticed when dealing with groups of persons, especially those involved with emergency and environmental risk, resulting, in most cases, of conflicts among the several stakeholders involved. Such context shows the need for procedures and instruments that include the definition of intervention strategies, information management and mobilization of the population in different situations. Thus, this research proposes to develop complementary knowledge beyond those which are being produced by institutions responsible for risk management such as CETESB. Thus, the research's proposal is to test and build relevant methodologies in order to analyze, develop and enhance the experience of the exposed population to contribute to the development of a "Risk Culture". "Risk Culture" means a broad concept of risk communication which links technical and scientific knowledge with the knowledge of the population. This risk culture values the practices of prevention, precaution and surveillance that are based on the experience of the exposed population. In order to meet the scientific challenges of this proposal, interdisciplinary fields will be associated to the project which collaboration will allow various levels of intervention. The project will rely on a method based on action-research, which enables participatory knowledge production. The research will be conducted in two pilot areas critically contaminated, chosen from the CETESB's list of contaminated sites. The selection will be conducted by the project work team. The research results will be translated into rules of action that will allow the preparation of a communication, awareness and participation protocol to be conducted by CETESB and it's could be applied as a model for other institutions. (AU)