Environmental Risk Assessment for Sustainable Cities

This position paper outlines the benefits of using the Environmental Risk Assessment Technology (EnRA) as an organizing tool in the UNCHS (Habitat) Sustainable Cities Programme (SCP) strategic planning process. The paper details the conceptual foundation and current practices of EnRA approaches (vis-a-vis human health and ecological assessments). Specific attention is directed toward characterizing the iterative steps required to produce valid qualitative and quantitative predictions of risk; explaining information requirements and uncertainty estimates; providing the means required to communicate risk information to technical and non-technical audiences; and drawing the link between the economic development, capacity building and replicability of strategic planning efforts embodied in the SCP and EnRA processes.