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Assessment of complex environmental health problems: framing the structures and structuring the frameworks
Anne B Knol1, David J Briggs, Erik Lebret
1National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Centre for Environmental health research, PO Box 1, NL-3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands. Anne.knol@rivm.nl
The Science of the Total Environment
|April 22, 2010
Summary
Developing informed environmental policies requires understanding complex risks. Integrated environmental health impact assessment uses a proposed three-level taxonomy of conceptual frameworks to analyze these multifaceted issues and support better decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health Sciences
- Policy Analysis
- Risk Assessment
Background:
- Environmental risks often present complex, far-reaching health consequences, challenging policy development.
- Integrated environmental health impact assessment (IEHIA) is crucial for addressing these complexities and uncertainties.
- A clear conceptual framework is essential for successful IEHIA, guiding issue definition, principles, stakeholder involvement, and data interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a novel three-level taxonomy for conceptual frameworks in environmental health impact assessment.
- To provide a structured approach for defining and utilizing conceptual frameworks in policy-relevant environmental health research.
- To enhance the clarity and consistency of environmental health impact assessments.
Main Methods:
- Development of a three-level taxonomy: structural, relational, and operational frameworks.
- Description of the role and complementarity of each framework level in the assessment process.
- Illustration of the taxonomy using a case study of urban brownfield development for residential use.
Main Results:
- The proposed taxonomy categorizes conceptual frameworks into structural (context), relational (causal links), and operational (analytical models) levels.
- Each framework level serves distinct but complementary roles throughout the environmental health impact assessment process.
- The taxonomy provides a tool for making assumptions explicit and facilitating data analysis and interpretation.
Conclusions:
- A structured understanding of conceptual frameworks, as outlined by the taxonomy, is vital for robust environmental health impact assessment.
- The proposed taxonomy can improve the clarity, consistency, and informativeness of assessments.
- Enhanced understanding and application of conceptual frameworks will lead to more effective and evidence-based environmental policies.
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