User:Isabell Rumrich

Isabell Rumrich
Student - Masters Degree Program Environmental Health Risk Assessment
University of Eastern Finland

DARM course 2013 – Homework 1

1) What is the main purpose of environmental health assessment? How human health is affected by the characteristics of our living environment is the mail focus of environmental health assessment. It´s main purpose is to improve the decision making for desired outcomes by influencing the decisions based on detailed knowledge. This may be in policy or the decision making of individuals.

9) What are the dimensions of openness? Scope of participation: Who is allowed to participate? Access to information: What information are made available to participants? Timing of openness: When do participants join? Scope of contribution: What issue or aspect are participants allowed to contribute to? Impact of contribution: How big is the extent of influence of the participants?

17) What is the role of modelling in assessment and policy making? In assessment modeling is always involved by at least using conceptual models. Models are used to describe reality in the assessment and it serves the needs of practical decision-making in policy making. The models can be developed and used by different experts. Those may be federal agencies, academic researchers or independent consultants. Models should not be used for some “useless” research or just to support some decision, which was made. Each modeled need to be assessed, whether it from good quality and suitable for the study question. Modelling and assessment can be considered as the same issue of support to decision making in environmental health.