Environmental risk assessment: review and systematization of methodology and methodical support

Abstract

Modern trends in social development transform environmental pollution risk into a fundamental category without which economic activity is impossible. In essence, the environmental risk indicator is on a par with such important economic categories as profit, cost, profitability, gross domestic or regional product, etc. At the same time, let us pay attention to a variety of approaches existing in the world practice for assessing environmental risks and their components (contamination likelihood and environmental harm) together with multifaceted specifics of economic entities activities. All these require a systemic consideration of methodological principles and methodological support, identifying the problems and areas in improving the applied calculation tools. The purpose of the study is to review the world experience in terms of methodology and methodological support of environmental risk assessment. The research methods incorporate environmental and economic analysis, content analysis, information modeling. The key findings of the study highlight the shortcomings and contradictions in understanding and assessing environmental risk, develop a broad systemological classification of the types and characteristics of environmental risks methodology, streamline and methodological support of these risks and show the directions to improve the assessment approaches. The scope of application encompasses environmental audit and expertise, eco-insurance, as well as regulatory documents of ministries (RF Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, RF Ministry of Health, the Moscow Region Ministry of Ecology and Nature Management) and departments (Rostekhnadzor, Rosprirodnadzor, Rospotrebnadzor, Rosvodresursy, Rosleskhoz, Rosnedra, etc.), scientific and educational publications on environmental risk assessment.