A Proposed Framework for Multinational Comparative Risk Analysis: Pesticide Use, Impacts and Management

Abstract

Comparative risk assessment is a natural tool for decision making regarding transboundary environmental issues. A workgroup of environmental experts met during the NATO Workshop over three days and addressed the state of the practice of comparative risk assessment and its applicability in an international context. Discussion of the application of comparative risk assessment led to a proposed case study on transboundary risks from pesticide use. Pesticides are of international concern because of transboundary trade of agricultural goods, impacts of applied pesticides on international environmental resources such as water bodies, differences in local and national safety practices, and concerns over the transferability of assessment models developed under different conditions than where pesticides are ultimately applied. Thus, a comparative assessment of potential impacts of pesticides on an international scale is proposed to be illustrative of the utility of the methodology for international environmental policy purposes. Workgroup discussions included the need to defining terminology, data needs, methods and tools for comparing risks, development of evaluation criteria, key issues regarding transboundary comparisons, and unique communication issues for international collaboration. A proposal for future work, including recommendations for international risk comparisons are also offered.