CRITERIA FOR FACTORS OF NATURAL HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION AND RISK MANAGEMENT ISSUES IN THE SPHERE OF RECREATION.
The following article presents the analysis of the interdependence of environmental hazards and risk situations. Authors defined the causes of environmental hazards manifestations and proposed the sequence of the risk assessment. Elicited are the criteria determining the natural phenomenon as a dangerous one and criteria for identifying the factors of natural hazards in certain areas of recreational activities. With the declining of the environmental situation in the industrialized regions, the inhabitants realize their need to travel and contact with nature. Tours to the unfamiliar natural objects are often associated with risky situations. Environmental hazards are often conditioned by natural causes. Authors classify hazards as objective, which arise from the interaction between man and nature, and subjective, depending on the behavior of people. The criterion for defining a natural phenomenon as a dangerous one is a probability of occurrence of a situation that could lead to an accident. The role of the team leader (tour guide) in ensuring the safety of ecological tours is extremely important. The risk assessment should be carried out comprehensively, taking into account the objective and subjective hazardous factors. Authors propose the ways to manage risky situations.