Nuclear emergency preparedness: Study of the risk perception and the consequences for emergency planning in Belgium.

Management strategies aiming to cope with the consequences of an accidental release of radioactive material will not only by based on radiological assessments,but will also have to consider the societal reaction to the crisis. In this article, we discuss results from two public opinion surveys in Belgium. We study the risk perception of activities involving radioactivity and the conficence in authorities. Special attention is given to the perception of the chernobyl accident, its severity and the reliability of the inforamtion about the accident. Detailed sections discuss the trust in and willingness to follow specific countermeasures foreseen in the off-site emergency plans. During a crisis, the confidence in the authorities will be a key factor, and results of questions targeting this issue ara also discussed.