向來行政管制體系主要從事危險預防之工作，惟面對高度不確定性之環境風險，傳統管制手段已無法妥為因應，須加調整並使用成本效益評估、經濟誘因及官民合作等新興管制方法，逐漸捨棄條件模式而採目的模式之法律制度設計。環境風險行政管制牽涉人民基本權利限制與國家保護義務等問題，實具一體兩面性質。又風險的判斷已非單純技術問題，而係涉及價值判斷之社會建構過程，行政機關從事環境風險管制，首應透過風險評估與風險溝通之程序，探究可容許風險之所在，並於風險決策機制中提供民眾有效參與的管道。當代環境風險管制的新趨勢係採預防原則，授權行政機關在尚未有明確科學證據前即採取行動，以避免嚴重或無法回復之損害發生。歐盟與美國對於該原則之適用仍存有歧見，而於我國之實踐得以水土保持法之特定水土保持區為例。

Over time the system of administrative control focused mainly in hazard prevention. However, the traditional administrative methods are not entirely effective while dealing with environmental risks involving high uncertainty. It is necessary to adopt new control methods including cost-benefit analysis, economic incentives, cooperation between public offices and people, etc., and to gradually abandon the condition-oriented and adopt the goal-oriented law system design. The administrative control over environmental risks involves both the restriction of people’s basic right and the country’s obligation of protection. Risk determination is not simply a technical issue, but also involved in social construction process that contains value-judgment. While taking the environmental risk control, first and foremost is to find the allowed risk by the procedures of risk assessment and communication. In the mean time governments shall offer participating opportunities for the citizens in making risk management policy decisions. Nowadays, being the trend of environmental risk management, the precautionary principle also authorizes executive offices to take action for preventing severe or irreversible damages, even lacking actual scientific evidences. A gap still exists between European Union and The United States about whether adopting the principle. In Taiwan, the executive step of the principle is seen in the system of specific region of soil and water conservation in Soil and Water Conservation Act.