The Anthropocene refers to all societies’ current era of environmental challenges. For the social sciences, the Anthropocene represents a historical "moment" with huge potential: it offers people new ways of considering the human condition, as well as how they interact with the rest of the living world and with the planet on all levels. At the turn of the 21st century, the idea of the Anthropocene burst onto the older, diverse and varied scene of risk studies.

This "new geological era", which is entirely created by humanity, went on to revive our understanding of environmental issues, as well as the analysis of the social and political problems that constitute risk situations.

Drawing together contributions from specialists in social sciences concerning risks and the environment, Risks and the Anthropocene explores the advantages that the idea of the Anthropocene can offer in understanding risks and their management, as well as the limitations it presents.

Julien Rebotier is a geographer at CNRS, France, and a specialist on Latin America. His research interests focus on socio-spatial relationships, taking into account environmental aspects, and on interdisciplinarity.