Abstract
Environmental risks can be broadly divided into human health risks and ecosystem risks. This book contains many case studies on ecological risk management in Japan. There are various ways of thinking about environmental risks. For example, Japan develops science later than the West, which often mimics Western science policy, but it also has some unique aspects about the precautionary principle and risk management. In this chapter, we will explain environmental risks and ecological risks from a general risk concept, using some examples of ecological risks described throughout this book. Risk is characterized by endpoint or undesired event, hazard when it happens, and the probability that it happens. Therefore, risk assessment uses probability theory and statistics. In addition, risk assessment is often based on unverified assumptions. In that sense, risk science is beyond normal science. Understanding the difference between the two scopes will be an introduction to the precautionary principle and risk science. In this book, I will introduce various measures against ecological risks based on precautionary measures. The differences in the scope of the precautionary measures may differ between decision-makers, or between the ecological and health sectors.
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Matsuda, H. (2021). Introduction: What Is Risk Science?. In: Matsuda, H. (eds) Ecological Risk Management. Ecological Research Monographs. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6934-4_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6934-4_1
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