BlueAdapt Policy Brief: Reducing health risks in coastal waters – Enabling informed choices and healthy behaviours
The BlueAdapt new policy brief on ‘Enabling informed choices and healthy behaviours’ highlights how policymakers can help protect public health while ensuring people can continue to enjoy coastal environments safely.
Climate change is increasing the risk of harmful pathogens in coastal waters through heavier rainfall, sewage overflows, agricultural runoff and rising water temperatures. While monitoring programmes exist, water-quality information is not always available, timely or easy for the public to understand when making decisions about swimming, surfing and other recreational activities.
Drawing on BlueAdapt research from the UK and Poland, the findings show that clear, trusted and accessible risk communication can help people make informed choices and reduce their exposure to health risks. The brief also includes findings from BlueAdapt’s analysis of user behaviour relating to Surfers Against Sewage‘s Safer Seas & Rivers Service (SSRS app).
BlueAdapt is looking to understand and reduce human health risks from coastal bacteria and viruses in a changing climate, including by conducting behavioural change analysis. The results of the research help to reveal how pathogens are impacting our health, but also how risk communication can help alter behaviour and reduce exposure. This policy brief draws on research results to highlight effective and cost-efficient policy interventions to reduce both the risks and exposure to the risks. It outlines practical, cost-effective recommendations for policymakers to reduce both the risks posed by coastal pathogens and people’s exposure to them. It also highlights how effective communication can build public support for wider adaptation and mitigation measures that improve water quality.
Read the BlueAdapt Policy Brief on Risk Communication and Behaviour Change.
