The scope of the ESREL SRA-E conference in Stavanger, Norway is broad, covering all types of topics within risk, safety, security, reliability, resilience, vulnerability and sustainability assessment, perception, communication, management and governance, both theory and application.
This year’s theme, “Advancing risk, safety and reliability sciences, with applications – from component, to system, to society”, highlights the need for enhanced knowledge within each field, as well as the importance of broadening the perspective and crossing the boundaries of traditional disciplines and research areas.
Panel: Joining Forces for Risk Communication
Public & Science Sweden’s Secretary General, Ulrika Björkstén will participate in a panel at 14:45-16:00 on WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18TH.
The session’s Aim: To bring together practitioners and researchers working on risk communication to share experience and inspiration, and discuss how to work together to raise risk know-how across different domains of risk. This Roundtable intends to lay the foundation of a risk communication community of practice by connecting three groups:
- Researchers who work closely and directly with decision-makers at any scale, from national
governments to individuals, in conducting risk assessment and risk communication studies, and
who are seeking to broaden the reach and impact of their work. - Representatives of international and regional organisations which produce and communicate risk
information to decision-makers and the public, who are interested in how academic research and
direct engagement with users can help them to do this better. - Frontline risk communicators – individuals and representatives of organisations who work to help
their communities access, interpret and use risk information to take decisions, and who want to
strengthen their capacity to do so by engaging with information providers and academics.
While an increasing number of organisations recognize their role in communicating risk information in
ways that enable users to take informed decisions, there are fewer document examples of strategic risk
communication approaches, in which communicators draw on insights from academic research,
evaluation of interventions and deep engagement with users to continuously improve their risk
communications and amplify their impact on decisions.
Frontline risk communications often find it difficult to find relevant risk information that fully reflects the
values and resources of their communities, addresses the multiple risks they face and equips them to
make necessary trade-offs when making decisions. They face time, funding and other constraints which
make it difficult for them to look for and learn from other practitioners or researchers. However, some
champions are doing this, and in the process, can make it easier for others to articulate their needs.
Academics, meanwhile, often engage with risk information users in the course of their research, but may
lack time and incentives to record their experiences and distil the lessons learned.
Read more about the session here (pdf).
ESREL 2025 is the 35th ESREL conference under the auspices of the European Safety and Reliability Association (ESRA). The conference dates back to 1989 and has taken place under the ESREL name since 1992. SRA-E 2025 is the 33rd annual SRA-E conference, see https://www.sraeurope.eu/.
