Understanding and communicating risk and uncertainty | te tūraru me te haurokuroku in marine management

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Describing different perceptions of risk in and of itself is not enough – and so we ask the wider contextual question, 'why are we always arguing about risk and uncertainty?' This question gets at the heart of why differences in perceptions and understanding of risk and uncertainty occur, and what can be done in decision processes.

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on navigating risk and uncertainty issues in decision-making contexts. We unpack ‘why we are always arguing about risk and uncertainty’ and provide insights and guidance for practitioners to assist with navigating the often-invisible differences between people and interests that lead to conflict in decision-making processes. We provide tools of thought to help decision-makers explore their own perceptions of risk, before attempting to make decisions.

Alongside this document, we’ve also published a series of quick guides to help marine decision-makers navigate different perceptions of risk and uncertainty.