WP6

Objectives

This WP will address the following challenges:

• The lack of systematic and methodological approaches to socio-economic studies of sustainable radon remediation frameworks, understanding the socio-psychological situation of affected populations and stakeholders.
• The WP aims to bridge the gap between awareness of risks and radiation protection behavior by developing a suite of tools.
• The WP will analyze effects of citizen participation and institutional empowerment of citizens in science related to different radiological exposures (radon, NORM) situations.
• Perception of radiological risks related to geothermal energy, use of NORM for building material and radon spas are rather unexplored and stakeholders’ positions are not known, which has significant implication for communication, socio-political decisions, market and also adds controversy to exposure situations (e.g. good vs. bad radon perception).

In order to address these societal challenges, WP6 will meet the following objectives:

• To develop and test an open source social science toolbox of qualitative and quantitative methods related to risk perception of affected populations and stakeholders, views, attitudes and behavior with regard to radon and NORM exposures and mitigation measures.;
• To develop and test health communication tools, strategies and methods for behavior change in radon and NORM exposure situations;
• To develop citizen science perspectives for radon prone areas.
• To investigate and address risk perception, communication and governance challenges in specific exposure situations to improve practical measures in view of the effective radiation protection of people and the environment;
• To provide consolidated and robust science-based policy recommendations related to societal aspects of decision making in radiation protection.