FI-10 :: Risk management and sustainable remediation of soils and groundwater

Many risks are connected to different land uses, soil and water properties and emissions from different sources. To adopt sustainable risk management, new knowledge is needed on the recognition of risks, dealing with different types of risk areas, defining responsibilities, communication on risks, and the procedures and target levels of remediation. Risk sites need to be identified, investigated and remediated systematically. Risks need to be considered more comprehensively. E.g. risk assessment for waters should take into consideration both water supply, groundwater depending ecosystems and river basin – not just one of these.
Information on risks is important be available in a user-friendly way. Restoration methods should be cost-efficient, save on natural resources, minimise adverse environmental impacts and promote circular economy. Land use and risk management need to support each other. Efficient risk management and remediation requires also interactive procedures, co-operation of public authorities and other stakeholders, and transparent communication.
Possible research questions may be:
Land management
• How to improve risk-assessment methods, promote the use of databases and models in the assessment, and make the assessment more systematic and comprehensive to deal with different kinds of (ecological, technological and economic) risks?
• What new policy instruments are needed and how the existing instruments should be developed to support sustainable risk management - the most effective administrative, economic and informative instruments?
• How can sensitive areas and functions be dealt with in risk management and land use planning?
• How to communicate about risks openly, transparently and interactively paying attention to the availability of data and privacy protection?
• How to organize remediation activities in a cost-efficient way minimising the use of natural resources and environmental impacts and learning from failed projects?
• How to define sufficient level of purification for contaminated areas?
• Which in situ and on-site remediation methods are suitable to northern soils and groundwaters and how to ensure that the most sustainable remediation methods are used?