4. ERS in area studies

4.1 Needs and objectives

In highly industrialized and urbanized areas, regulatory impact assessments of individual facilities are unable to assess the cumulative risks to which populations are exposed, due to the proximity of multiple and varied sources of pollution.

These areas, where there is a concentration of overexposure to environmental factors, are known as "environmental black spots", and are the focus of actions under the second National Health and Environment Plan (PNSE 2) and the ensuing regional plans, to reduce contamination levels.

To contribute to this, area studies are evaluation approaches:

• the impact of human activities on the state of the environment, and ;

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