British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Risk:benefit analysis definition

Definition: Risk:benefit analysis is the research that is undertaken when someone proposes for example, a new construction site or a policy. Work is done to identify the potential risks/hazards of carrying out the activity but also the possible benefits.

For example, a proposal to build a new car manufacturing plant. One of the potential risks is possible pollution from the plant and damage to the atmosphere which might affect local wildlife and have an effect on peoples' health. Building the plant might result in damage to the water course; there might also be noise pollution. On the other hand, there might be positives - the plant could provide people with employment which would benefit the economy. Risk:benefit analysis is about identifying the risks and benefits and comparing them - if the risks outweigh the benefits (ie, the risk of pollution is high) then the project will get dropped. Risk: benefit analysis also helps identify and think about ways to reduce the potential risks - so in this example, it might be that the plant could run on renewable energy (possibly solar panels) which would bring the risk of pollution down to a point where the project can go ahead.