2 Environmental responses

2.1 Managing risk in conditions of uncertainty

Earlier we considered what is meant by ‘environmental responses’. There are two aspects to this concept. One is the response made by the environment to processes of change, whether brought about by natural or human causes or a combination of both. The other is the response to environmental changes made by humans or non-humans. In this section we shall consider both of these aspects of response by focusing on an issue of particular significance in the Blackwater: how the environment of the estuary might be ‘managed’ in response to those changes that are having an impact on its biodiversity.