From the Everyday to the Extraordinary: SRA-Europe Conference 2009

The 18th SRA Europe Annual meeting was held at Karlstad University in Sweden from 28th June – 1st July 2009. Over the course of the conference around 200 delegates from 24 countries attended and participated in a full programme of exciting keynotes, individual papers and symposia over 5 parallel sessions.

Assisting with the conference, SRA Europe were fortunate to enjoy the generous sponsorship of Karlstad University and the Swedish Defence College. All the delegates were very appreciative of these contributions and the efforts of the local organising committee led by Ann Enander, the incoming President of SRA-Europe.

We were welcomed to Karlstad by the County Governor as we enjoyed their hospitality overlooking the river Klara. The opening plenary took the form of a round table and the ensuing lively debate between Professors Ortwin Renn (Stuttgart University), Glynis Breakwell (University of Bath, UK) and Åsa Boholm (University of Gothenburg) set the tone for considering the conference theme: From the Everyday to the Extraordinary. Later that day participants had the opportunity to hear Dr. Johan Schaar, Head of the Secretariat of the Climate Commission on Climate Change and Development provide a keynote address: Living with Risk: Poverty in the era of Climate Change. One of the most thought provoking moments of the conference was provided by the keynote address of Paul Slovic who opened up the question of why it is that the more that die in atrocities the less it is that we care.

We were also pleased to welcome SRA leaders to the conference. Alison Cullen (President of SRA International), Roberto Bubbico (President SRA Europe), Esperanza Lopez (President, SRA Latin America) and Valery Lesnykh (Vice President, SRA Russia) took part in a discussion moderated by Olivier Salvi focusing on the challenges for the Society posed by the current financial crisis. Ahead of the China- Europe Risk Forum to be held in Beijing in October it was also good to welcome a delegation of participants from China.

A chartered train transported us through the beautiful Värmland countryside to Rottnerospark for the conference dinner. We had a wonderful dinner in the Hall of Mirrors overlooking the park lake. Afterwards, many delegates took the opportunity to explore the statues and gardens surrounding the manor house made famous in the works of the Nobel Prize winning author Selma Lagerlöf. We look forward to welcoming you to our next annual meeting at Kings College London from June 21st-23rd 2010 and to continued conversations over the next 12 months.

Conference 2009: General information

The 2009 SRA-Europe Annual Meeting will take place in Karlstad, Sweden.

The conference will start on Sunday evening 28th June with an opening reception and will last through until lunch Wednesday 1st July.

The conference language is English.

SRA members who choose to be affiliated to the SRA-Europe Regional Organization (40 dollars) when they renew their 2009 membership, will be entitled to a reduction of at least 50 dollars (currently around €37) on the conference fee.

From the everyday to the extraordinary: challenges for risk analysis and management

The SRA Europe Meeting in 2009 will be held from 28th June – 1st July in Karlstad, Sweden. The conference theme will span across the broad range of risk issues from everyday risks to extraordinary events. The conference aims to facilitate exchange of experiences from different disciplines, fields and application areas.

The call for papers to the conference has resulted in a very positive response. Over 150 abstracts and a number of interesting proposals for minisymposia have been submitted and the review process is under way. We are pleased to see so many European countries represented, as well as contributions from around the globe.

The plenary sessions will include both keynote adresses and round table discussions. Confirmed speakers so far include Professor Paul Slovic, Professor Ortwin Renn, Professor Glynis Breakwell and Professor Åsa Boholm.

Registration for the conference will open on April 1st and full details will be available here on the website. Remember: SRA members who choose to be affiliated to the SRA-Europe Regional Organization (40 dollars) when they renew their 2009 membership, will receive a reduction equivalent to at least 50 dollars on the conference fee.

Please direct any questions to the local organiser at sraeurope2009@fhs.se

Submission of abstracts

Authors wishing to present their work at the conference in the form of an oral presentation, poster, round table discussion or symposium are requested to submit an abstract no later than January 12th 2009. Abstracts for indiividual papers and posters should be submitted electronically, by filling out the abstract submission form.

Symposium and round table abstracts can be submitted by contacting the local organiser at sraeurope2009@fhs.se

The abstract of an oral presentation or poster should be 250 words maximum and include specific field of interest, issues addressed, methodology applied and results achieved or expected. Abstracts for symposia or round-table discussions should not exceed 800 words. Full mail and e-mail address of the corresponding author should be provided for future contacts.

Authors whose abstracts have been accepted will be expected to attend the conference and present their work in person. Oral presentations will last approximately 20 minutes.

Abstracts and proposals will be reviewed by the Technical Program Committee. Upon acceptance authors will be notified by March 2nd, 2009. The final program schedule will be available at the beginning of May 2009.

Please direct any questions to the local organiser at sraeurope2009@fhs.se

Conference book and activities

The conference book with final programme and abstracts (.pdf, sized 1.2 MB) can be downloaded here now. A printed version will be included in the conference pack for all participants.

Conference theme, aims and topics

The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) is a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, scholarly international society that provides an open forum for all those who are interested in risk analysis. Risk analysis is broadly defined to include risk assessment, risk characterization, risk communication and perception, risk management and risk policy. It may concern individuals, public and private organizations, and society at a local regional, national or global level. SRA-Europe is a regional organization of the Society for Risk Analysis.

The 2009 conference of SRA-Europe will take place in Karlstad, Sweden. The conference theme will span across a broad range of issues from everyday risks to extraordinary events. The conference aims to provide a forum for traditional SRA themes such as risk identification, quantification and mitigation, risk perception and communication, policy making and legislation, as well as opening up for new risk-related topics. The conference aims to facilitate interaction among all players in the risk field: risk experts from all disciplines, and risk stakeholders as policy makers, the private sector, NGOs and other interest groups.

The conference will be a forum for presentations on existing and emerging risk issues, from all related research disciplines. Presentations in the following areas are particularly welcomed:

• Everyday risks and prevention of injuries.
  Issues here include identification and analysis of major determinants of injury mortality and morbidity and analysis of achievements in safety related work.
• Management of natural risk and climate change.
  From a European perspective, the major consequences of climate change will be negative. Vulnerability analyses, risk and disaster management strategies and conditions for learning and developing warning systems are pertinent topics here.
• Disaster risk management in an international context.
  This theme addresses the role of European stakeholders in supporting safe and secure societal systems in the developing world and the possible contributions of risk oriented research.
• Future risks and technologies for security and safety.
  The growing dependence on technical systems in critical infrastructures has resulted in growing risks in society. This theme calls for security risk assessment methods and experiences that contribute to increased confidence in and understanding of such technologies.

Conference activities


The conference will start on Sunday evening 28th June with an opening reception and will last through until lunch Wednesday 1st July. The conference language is English.

The opening reception will be hosted by the County Governor at the Elite Stadshotellet (next to the Governor´s residence in the centre of the city).

Each conference day will open up with a plenary session with keynote presentations and discussions, followed by parallel sessions including oral papers, round table discussions and symposia reflecting particular themes of interest. Professor Paul Slovic will give a keynote talk: "The more who die, the less we care: Confronting psychic numbing". Other confirmed speakers thus far include Professor Ortwin Renn, Professor Glynis Breakwell and Professor Åsa Boholm. A special drinks and buffet poster session is planned on Monday evening.

A conference dinner will provide the delegates with an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful countryside and midsummer light in the county of Värmland. The conference dinner will be held on Tuesday evening. Taking us back in time, a steam locomotive will take our chartered train through the beautiful Värmland countryside to Rottnerospark. Overlooking lake Fryken, the park is renowned for its statues and gardens which surround the manorhouse made famous in the works of the Nobel Prize winning author Selma Lagerlöf. The dinner will be held in the Hall of Mirrors overlooking the park lake, giving delegates the opportunity to enjoy the midsummer light in beautiful surroundings.

Day by day programme outline

Sunday 28th June

The conference will start with an informal evening reception hosted by the County Governor at the Elite Stadshotellet (close to the Governor´s residence in the centre of the city).

Monday 29th June

Tuesday 30th June

Wednesday 1st July

The conference book with the final detailed schedule can be downloaded here.

Plenary sessions 2009 Annual Meeting

Monday and Tuesday will each open up with a plenary session with keynote presentations and discussions. During both days, a second plenary session will take place.

On the Monday a round table with presentations and discussions will highlight the overall theme, ‘from the everyday to the extraordinary’, with contributions from Professor Ortwin Renn, Professor Glynis Breakwell and Professor Åsa Boholm.

In the afternoon, Dr. Johan Schaar, Head of the Secretariat of the Climate Commission on Climate Change and Development will provide insights from the then newly released final report of the Commission (upcoming in May 2009).

In the plenary session on Tuesday Professor Paul Slovic will give a keynote talk: "The more who die, the less we care: Confronting psychic numbing".

The final plenary session will focus on the challenges of shared international issues with contributions from prominent SRA leaders including Alison Cullen, Olivier Salvi and Daniela Leonte.

Outlines for mini-symposia and round table sessions

The following mini-symposia and round table sessions will take place at the Annual Meeting 2009 in Karlstad:

• Symposium: Visualisation of risk: Opportunities for public engagement and communication
• Risk psychology, environment and safety: the RIPENSA-symposium
• Round Table: Siting sensitive projects
• Symposium: Results of the ‘International Study of the Effects of information about Precautionary measures on risk perceptions of mobile telephony (ISEP)
• An information assurance perspective on future risks with technologies for security and safety
• Education Symposium of the SRA Education Committee
• Symposium: Framing Climate Change and Energy Futures

Monday 29th June 11.00-12.30

Aim:

Visual imagery is a prominent aspect of contemporary culture. Every time we read a newspaper, turn on the TV or browse the internet we are continually bombarded with visual information. This in turn is likely to influence how individuals use visual information to engage with and understand complex risk issues. The social sciences, however, have yet to majorly engage with the impact of visuals on the way people think about their worlds. As a consequence, there is growing empirical interest exploring the role this information has for both understanding and communication of risk. It is also important, at a more theoretical level, to identify how visual information is used given the strong affective component researchers attribute risk perception processes. Does visual imagery ‘position’ individuals to respond and think about risk in particular ways? What emotions are associated when viewing one image over another? Can seeing really mean believing? The aim of this symposium is to bring together researchers to investigate these questions. Presentations will address a variety of risks but all have a specific interest in visual imagery and visualisation of risk more broadly.

Presentations:

• Disgust, imagery, and precautionary advice: Their impact on the risk perceptions of being bitten by ticks.
  Julie Barnett, Afrodita Marcu & Anna Mikolajek, University of Surrey, UK
• The power of visual material: persuasion, emotion and identification.
  Helene Joffe, University College London, UK
• Using visual imagery to communicate global warming risk.
  Nicholas Smith, University College London, UK
• Social representations of ticks in words vs. images: A multiple sorting procedure approach
  Afrodita Marcu, Julie Barnett & Marta Brodzinska, University of Surrey
• Envisioning engagement: a longitudinal study of representations of renewable energy technologies within UK newspapers.
  Hannah Devine-Wright, University of Manchester, UK

Monday 28th June 14.30-16.00 and continued 16.30-18.00

Abstract

The presentations and discussions in this symposium cover recent research results from risk psychology, environment and safety reflecting the broad scope of the RIPENSA research team’s collaboration and production. The scope involves individuals’ everyday risks, emotions, reactions and behaviour, studies of collective actions or community reactions related to risk and safety issues, health outcomes in social interaction and work environments as well as behaviours in the face of global environmental, or security, threats. The RIPENSA team aims at specialisation as well as collaboration to produce insights and practices of complementary aspects to risk, environmental and safety issues. Therefore the approaches include the development of basic theory related to various theoretical perspectives, a broad range of utilized methodologies, and experimental as well as empirical testing and fields studies.

In the first paper Lennart Sjöberg focuses on emotions and the current conceptual confusion regarding the definitions of central concepts used to explain human reactions and behaviour in relation to central risk perception theories. In the following paper Christian Klöckner outlines driving forces behind human decision-making and action. He links the Comprehensive Action Determination Model (CADM) to how individuals relate to the risk of climate change and decide on the actions they want to take. Mons Bendixen and Ute Gabriel present results on how sexual risk behaviour and sexual harassment relate to health outcomes in young people. The sexual risk – health outcome association is of central interest in the study. In the following paper Marit Christensen outlines how downsizing in a cornerstone industry, internal reorganisation and aspects of the psychosocial environment affect employees’ job satisfaction in community services. She points out the varying importance of psychosocial factors for job satisfaction in different work circumstances. Tone Aasen and Gunhild Åm Vatn report from a field study which investigated neighbours’ concerns regarding a refuse incineration plant and suggested plans to increase the capacity of the facility. They point at health concerns, but also to concerns involving noice, smell, traffic, safety and esthetics. Britt-Marie Drottz-Sjöberg and Jørn Vatn present community reactions to a planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) industrial application. The suggested placement of a LNG storage tank in a harbour area, together with scarce initial risk anlysis and public information, as well as highlighted media reports developed concerns about public safety as well as about the procedural handling of the process. J. Peter Burgess focuses on how security is financed, and discusses how costs and values are linked on the basis of a 2004 European Union report. How do European agencies make the calculation that permits them to put a price on human life and to differentiate that cost from one European member state to another?

These presentations and questions provide some input to the following discussion in the session. In highlighting examples from different perspectives we wish to embrace the complexity of real life situations and reflect the many important dimensions of the RIPENSA arena, e.g. individuals’ perceptions and reactions in large or collective systems, the functions of emotions and values in individual as well as international and global decision-making and policy, the interrelationsships between risk estimates or analysis and social systems and cultural frameworks.

Chair: Britt-Marie Drottz-Sjöberg

Presentations:

• The Place of Emotions in a World of Risks.
  Lennart Sjöberg, Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden
• Understanding the Driving Forces behind Climate Behaviour of Individuals.
  Christian Klöckner, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
• Sexual Risk Behavior, Sexual Harassment and Health Outcomes.
  Mons Bendixen & Ute Gabriel, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway. mons.bendixen@svt.ntnu.no ; ute.gabriel@svt.ntnu.no
• Job Satisfaction and Perceived Risks in Municipality Services related to Reorganization and Downsizing.
  Marit Christensen, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology,Norway marit.christensen@svt.ntnu.no
• Concerned Neighbours to a refuse Incineration Plant.
  Tone Aasen, NTNU, Department of Psychology,N-7491 Trondheim, Norway. Tone.aasen@svt.ntnu.no
  Gunhild Åm Vatn, Language and Communication Studies, NTNU. University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway Gunhild.vatn@hf.ntnu.no
• Community Reactions to the Development of a LNG Plant
  Britt-Marie Drottz-Sjöberg, Risk Psychology, Environment and Safety, RIPENSA, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway.
  Jørn Vatn, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
• The cost of danger and value of security: The EU study on aviation security financing
  J. Peter Burgess, RIPENSA

Tuesday 30^th June 11.00-12.30

Aim:

The roundtable will describe how social acceptance in sensitive industrial projects is a key success factor which must be properly managed and cautiously looked after. Anyway, social acceptance relies both over legal regulations and social options to be set up and followed up by public authorities on a case by case basis. The subject will be tackled through a comparison of partnerships developed in Belgium and Slovenia in order to site a repository for low and medium- level short-leved waste  (LILW)  and a cross examination with a French case of siting a different industry, rendering plant, also with a local partnership.

The roundtable will be an opportunity to :

• present general context, technical background and choices in siting two similar sensitive projects of radioactive waste management :  disposal of low and medium-level short-lived waste  (LILW) in two countries, Belgium and Slovenia,
• comparing some steps and key issues with an other kind of sensitive project, a rendering plant in France,
• present expectations  from a local partnership representative view point
• draw comparisons and common good practices in managing such upstream part of a technical project.

Participants

• Nadja Železnik, ARAO  (Slovenia) :              
• Evelyn Hooft , NIRAS/ONDRAF (Belgium) :        
• Jean-François David, Compagnie Nationale des Experts de Justice en Environnement:   (France)
• Stakeholder representative (local Belgian partnership) to be determined

The steps of the round table will link up as follows:

STEP 1 : Context and history

From hard science to soft science, from technology to social expertise, listening and understanding, how to insert soft sciences in a technical project and how to listen to citizens. Building local partnerships are well recognized frameworks for involvement and participation of local stakeholders ; those partnership obey to several steps developing inside pre established frameworks which will be described.

Presentations

• Belgian experience and model: Evelyn Hooft
• Slovenian experience and model: Nadja Železnik
• French experience, a rendering plant needing to be relocated outside a urban area: Jean-François David

STEP 2 : Social and political approach along with local partnership

The history and live of partnerships  will be described in a comparative approach with rule of the games, mutual apprenticeship between public agencies and local partners, pros and cons, process description. A SWOT analysis will be presented for both projects to back the comparison and make it more understandable, stressing the differences and similarities. The typology and number of partners, the mapping of their social expectations will be described.

Presentations

• Belgian experience : 
• NIRAS/ONDRAF: Evelyn Hooft
• Why did we accept the partnership:  a local stakeholder (local Belgian partnership)
• Slovenian experience Nadja Železnik

Guidelines for posters

Registration is now open for the 2009 SRA Annual Meeting to be held in Karlstad from 28th June – 1st July. 

THE CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

We are delighted to be able to welcome several well known scholars to give plenary papers each morning.  On the Monday a round table with presentations and discussions will highlight the overall theme, ‘from the everyday to the extraordinary’, with contributions from Professors Ortwin Renn,  Glynis Breakwell and Åsa Boholm.  In the plenary session on Tuesday Professor Paul Slovic will give a keynote talk: "The more who die, the less we care: Confronting psychic numbing".  In the same session Dr Johan Schaar, Head of the Secretariat of the Climate Commission on Climate Change and Development will provide insights from the then newly released final report of the Commission (upcoming in May 2009). The final plenary session will focus on the challenges of shared international issues with contributions from prominent SRA leaders including Alison Cullen, Olivier Salvi and Daniela Leonte.

The conference programme includes over 150 individual papers and eight mini symposia covering a range of significant topics. Posters will be displayed during a special session, with refreshments hosted by the city of Karlstad.  In addition to this reception, other social highlights of the conference include a reception at the regional governors residence and  a chartered trip with steam locomotive through the countryside and the conference dinner at Rottneros park, famous from the works of the Nobel laureate Selma Lagerlöf.

BOOKING FOR THE CONFERENCE

As previously promised, there is a substantial discount in fees for those that are SRA-Europe members.  SRA members who affiliated to the SRA-Europe Regional Organization when they renew their 2009 membership (which costs $40 - approximately €30), will receive a reduction of 800 SEK (equivalent to around  €74) on the conference fee.  It is not too late to benefit from this discount.  If you have not renewed your 2009 membership, or indeed if you wish to become a SRA member for the first time, you can do this on the SRA website now.   Be sure to select the box to affiliate to SRA Europe - and you are then entitled to register at the Karlstad meeting for the reduced fee. Please note that the deadline for early bird registration is 15^th May.

We are very grateful for the sponsors of the Karlstad meeting – The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, The Swedish National Defence College and Karlstad University - whose generous contributions have enabled us to keep the fees  for this Annual Meeting and to offer this substantial discount to SRA Europe members. 

We very much look forward to welcoming you to Karlstad. 

Conference location

The conference will be held at the University of Karlstad, which located by the lake Vänern in the region of Värmland, on about equal distance from Stockholm, Göteborg and Oslo. The region is noted for its beautiful scenery and rich cultural heritage.

The campus of the Karlstad University is located in suburban surroundings, approximately 7 kilometers from the city centre. It is famous for its Auditorium, which is also called "The Egg" due to its shape, floating in midair in a spacious surrounding.

For more information about the city of Karlstad and the county of Värmland please contact the Karlstad tourist office ( Tourist office ).

Student Karlstad Conference Scholarship


We are pleased to announce two Student Karlstad Conference Scholarships each worth €500.

Students wishing to apply for a Scholarship are required to submit

• an extended abstract (up to 800 words),
• a short CV( no more than1 side A4) and 
• a description of their motivation for wishing to attend the conference.

The applications will be assessed by an Awards Committee. Each application will be rated for (1) quality of research (2) relevance to Karlstad conference themes (3) motivation for application.  The successful candidates will be required to submit proof of their student status before the award can be made. 

Applications for Student Karlstad Conference Scholarships should be submitted by 31^st January 2009.  The successful candidates will be informed by 31^st March 2009. On production of receipts they will be reimbursed for costs of economy travel, registration and accommodation up to the value of €500.

Student Scholarship Awarded

Organisation and support

We are very grateful for the sponsors to the Karlstad conference whose generous contributions have enabled us to keep the fees for this Annual Meeting low and to offer a substantial discount to SRA Europe supporting members.

Sponsors

The SRA-Europe 2009 Conference is supported and co-hosted by 

• the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), 
• Karlstad University (KaU) and
• the Swedish National Defence College (SNDC).

• The Municipality of Karlstad
• The County Administrative Board of Värmland
• The Journal of Risk Research

• Ann Enander, SNDC (Chair)
• Lennart Blomquist (KaU)
• Susanne Hede (SNDC)
• Agne Sandberg (MSB)
• Svante Ödman (MSB)
  

sraeurope2009@fhs.se

• Maria Josteus
• Lena Malmberg

Karlstad University Conference Administration
SE-651 88 Karlstad
Phone: +46 54 700 18 06

Fax: +46 54 700 19 64
conference@kau.se