Effective Strategies for Environmental Health Risk Communication

Effective risk communication designed for risk management increases concern and motivates action by providing guidance and specific actions that can be taken. When exposures to environmental contaminants or stressors are ubiquitous or pollutant sources are not easily controlled, also decreasing sustainability, risk communication is focused on actions for risk reduction and avoidance. Three recommended practices (use of virtual exemplars, narrative, and social media) are discussed as tactics and platforms to inform public beliefs and behaviors and to encourage adoption of long-term planning goals that avoid the consequences of future risks. These risk communication strategies appeal broadly to lay audiences, are not limited to scientists and science-trained risk communicators, and are consistent with the US EPA’s SALT Framework, a research-based approach with recommended practices to guide risk communication. The overall strategy is to make risk communication more effective by using approaches that are dynamic, interactive, engaging, and relatable.