Climate Change, Risk Perception, and Healthy Environment Management

Climate change not only poses a threat to ecological integrity and sustainable development, influencing ecosystem functionality and resilience, as well as the healthy, safe, and sustainable development of human societies. How the public perceives the risks associated with climate change directly affects their willingness to adopt mitigation measures and the effectiveness of healthy environmental governance and policy strategies. Therefore, in order to advance sustainable decision-making in the face of climate disturbances, understanding the nexus of environmental change, human perception of risk and resulting governance strategies is increasingly critical and essential.

This Research Topic aims to examine the critical intersection of climate change, risk perception, and environment management, through an environmental science, policy, and governance lens. As climate change intensifies environmental hazards, how individuals and communities perceive and respond to these risks becomes paramount. It aims to explore how differing perceptions of climate-related risks affect policy design, governance effectiveness, and ultimately, the sustainable management of ecosystems and natural resources. Through an interdisciplinary lens spanning environmental science, policy analysis, and governance studies, we seek to unravel how differentiated risk perceptions among stakeholders influence the design, implementation, and adaptive capacity of climate policies. A core objective is to generate actionable insights that strengthen the integration of public risk awareness into healthy environment management systems, particularly through policy mechanisms that enhance ecosystem resilience and natural resource sustainability.

To gather further insights in the integration of climate change comprehension with risk perception and health management strategies, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Policy-oriented valuation frameworks for ecosystem services under climate uncertainty
• Climate change impacts on ecosystem services and natural capital valuation
• Policy and governance strategies for climate-adaptive natural resource management
• Policy instruments for climate-resilient water security and urban ecosystem health
• Mechanisms for aligning stakeholder risk priorities with healthy environment targets
• Innovative governance and policy instruments that promote ecosystem resilience in the context of climate-related risks
• Cross-cultural and stakeholder analyses of risk perception affecting environmental decision-making
• Approaches for climate-resilient water management, affecting ecosystem health and sustainability
• Studies on governance and management in urban environment planning in response to climate uncertainty