Public Risk Perception of the Chernobyl Accident Consequences in the Ukraine. N. I. Borodyanskiy, International Solomon University, Ukraine
The beginning of the third millennium Ukraine could celebrate with the world by shutting down the last working nuclear reactor at Chernobyl. The world’s worst nuclear accident is the most serious reason why foreign business is afraid to invest in, to work in and to travel to Ukraine. The nuclear power produced is expensive because there is no place to permanently store its nuclear waste. Today the Ukrainian government is threatening not to shut down the last operating Chernobyl nuclear reactor even by the year 2000. Following the Chernobyl disaster, western countries have found it impossible to build any more nuclear reactors in their respective countries because of the public’s abhorrence to nuclear power. Instead the western companies are looking to construct nuclear reactors in such countries as Ukraine. In the report the experience in the field of public risk perception research of Chernobyl accident is presented. Generalization and systematization of social and psychological consequences of the breakdown of atomic station is shown. The peculiarities of shaping and development of the social and psychological perception and response to the catastrophe have been studied among different groups. The unique Sociographic analysis describing various aspects of the community perception is done. The practical recommendations for creation principles and determination of concrete directions for the governmental post-Chernobyl social policy are suggested both for Ukraine and for the international community.
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