What is Pesticide Risk Communication? 
Despite high levels of pesticide use and issues arising from obsolete pesticide stocks, there is little research to assess understandings of the health risks caused by those chemical exposures in the communities and the farmers. Sometimes, it is observed that even technical authorities have limited understanding or underestimate the impacts of those harmful chemicals. In this sense, pesticide risk communication becomes a key mechanism to reach out, create better understanding, contribute to informed decisions, and in this way protect communities. Pesticide risk communication eventually is part of a larger risk communication and incorporates risk responses to address the current issues.
What is risk communication?
Risk communication means real-time exchange of information, advice and opinions between experts or officials and people who are potentially affected by a hazard (for instance Obsolete Pesticides / Mini-landfills and ongoing use of pesticides) for their survival, health, or economic or social well-being.
Risk communication aims to provide people at risk with the necessary information to understand the situation, to make informed decisions how to best manage a threat and take protective and preventive actions and measures.
It also intends professionals and responsible authorities to be aware of the situation and to address threats and risks in a timely manner.
What is risk response?
In order to address a threat, there are four articulated options available in the context of pesticides:
- Avoid – eliminate cause of threat
- Accept – make contingency plans to manage risks resulting from a threat in a participatory manner
- Mitigate – reduce probability or impact of a risk
- Share the responsibility – seek financial and/or technical assistance or delegate reducing a threat to a competent party
Based on the classification of the thread, the best and ideal response option can be chosen in the specific context of the case with the lead by line ministries or competent authorities.
In implementation of the above-mentioned options, transparency, governance and community engagement should be fully ensured for better results.
The importance of stakeholders and their roles
In order to address a threat whether it is an emergency or not, stakeholder engagement is key. Without achieving full engagement among relevant stakeholder groups, the issues cannot be resolved. These groups include in the context of the Central Asia project:
- Affected communities/communities at risk/civil society: are closest to a hazard and would be impacted first and are, therefore, those with whom real change has to start. They are also called target groups to convey the messages and to increase the awareness.
- Responsible legal/institutional entities: will take the lead or share the lead with the civil society to address the issue at international, national and local level.
- Private sector: will help transfer global know-how to address local issues, can be a solutions provider.
- Academia: will help do research to address hitherto unresolved issues.
- International community: will help provide technical and/or financial resources.
- Media: will help create awareness by delivering the messages.
What are the tools we have to communicate about the threat and risk responses?
The aim is to distribute meaningful, understandable, and actionable information to many audiences through right tools to reach the intended target audience.
Those tools can include:
- Written catchy documents,
- Short videos,
- Awareness raising meetings,
- Participatory meetings,
- Social/conventional media.
Recommendation about Risk Communication Strategies and Response in addressing issues arising from ongoing use of pesticides and obsolete pesticides
Holistic approaches should be used by governments to address threats from obsolete pesticides/mini-landfills and ongoing use of pesticide. The risks should be analyzed and classified to choose right response option.
Holistic approaches should include corrective measures such as alternative income generation support to avoid risky activities, or financial aid for those who must be relocated due to the presence of mini-landfills in the middle of their community along with remediation works.
Vulnerable groups such as poor communities, women and children must be specially heard and cared. Since their exposure probability and potential harms that they may have are higher.
In summary risk communication strategies and risk responses should be
- Acceptable,
- Accessible,
- Understandable,
- Locally appropriate,
- Tailored,
- Inclusive,
- Gender responsive.
Implementing pesticide risk communication activities in Tajikistan
In order to build up Tajikistan’s capacity for managing and cleaning up mini-landfills and contaminated soils, a series of seminars were held under the GEF/FAO project. Four seminars on the threats posed by obsolete pesticides in Tajikistan took place in Dushanbe, Bokhtar, Jamoat Panj (in Jayhoon region) and Tursunzoda during the period 7–11 November 2022. Overall, 120 technical experts from relevant national and local authorities, farmers and representatives of non-governmental organizations participated.
The seminars focused on a range of key topics, including the impacts of obsolete pesticides on human health, the importance of pesticide risk communication and the challenges of cleaning-up mini-landfills in Tajikistan.
During the 1990s, many former pesticides stores in Tajikistan were privatized, resulting in the discovery of obsolete pesticides by the new owners when they excavate sometimes. However, most of the trenches were established in 60s-80s. Over the years, the pesticides were spread by erosion or construction works, leading to cases of large-scale soil contamination in villages. It is estimated that around 200 so-called mini-landfills exist today in Tajikistan, all of which pose a significant threat to the environment and human health. Therefore, further awareness raising is required. For this purpose, a leaflet and a fact-sheet were designed.
Risk communication activities in Tajikistan
