'Risk Communications in Environmental Crises Advent on the Balkans'

Recent events of environmental disasters on the Balkans provoked many implications on the performance of alert and response systems in environmental and other crises' management. The paper discusses the importance of risk communications at all the stages as being the main factor in prevention, mitigation and recovery's effectiveness. Considering the most prominent environmental risks in the region the study determines the most important characteristics of environmental risk communications and gives specific recommendations for stakeholders in environmental threats and risk handling.The paper examines the importance of risk communication in risk management for enhancing the level of environmental security and the specific role of local communities behavioral and communication models and characteristics of local civil societies' development. Considering the importance of information for taking correct, timely and realistic decisions for wellbeing of societies concerning environmental security, the study puts the accent on implementing equality principles in citizenship and societal challenges and the role of non-governmental organizations. As the local environment shapes communities' perceptions of environmental risks they should be embraced in models of removing considerable barriers to accessing, understanding and utilizing sources of information about environmental risks.Some proposals are made in connection to enhancing environmental security knowledge examining the process of delivery and processing of risk information in risk management and involvement of community based society organizations, and contributing to the achievement an adequate level of environmental security, as well as overall resilience and environmental risk reduction as part of the human security concept, in regional and international scope