As a highly industrialized society, Japan has expanded the scale of its industrial economy, drastically transforming itself into an information society. However, science, technology, and new innovations —the driving forces of these developments— entail various uncertainties (risks) related to the development and operation of technology, which has led to a growing interest in the appropriate assessment and management of those risks, among scientists and citizens alike.
The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA), was founded in 1980 by a group of individuals who sought to address issues regarding risk to health, safety, and the environment from an interdisciplinary perspective that transcended disciplinary boundaries. Although the Society’s activities have, thus far, mostly been limited to the United States, in 1986, SRA-Europe was established by 12 European countries, laying the groundwork for international exchange in risk research, in accordance with one of the Society’s original objectives.
In Japan, risk-related issues such as disaster prevention, medical care, public health, safety, public nuisance, and environmental pollution have been studied across the individual fields of natural sciences, medicine, engineering, social science, etc. However, as we enter the era of advanced industrial technology, the need for risk analysis and risk management from an interdisciplinary and international perspective is becoming increasingly necessary.
We propose the establishment of this society to not only promote mutual understanding and cooperation in risk research considering related research fields but also continue and further develop international exchanges and strengthen international collaboration. We welcome the participation of researchers from a wide range of fields beyond the specialized fields of natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, etc. (From the prospectus for the establishment of the Society for Risk Analysis Japan)