Public perception of drought and climate change in southeast England

Droughts occur as a natural feature of many climates. Several southern areas of the UK experienced water stress during 2004–2006 because of low water availability and high water demand. Climate change scenarios suggest that drought frequency could increase here in the future. This will increase the competition for water across all sectors. Understanding people's perceptions of drought and climate change is likely to be an important factor for sustainable water management by pointing to barriers to behavioural change. A mixed methodology study using questionnaires and focus groups was conducted in the Anglian and southern regions of the UK to explore public perceptions of drought and climate change. Respondents attributed the 2004–2006 regional drought to lower than average rainfall. Water-intensive lifestyles, a growth in population, increasing housing developments, leaking pipes and the privatization of water companies were also implicated. The majority of respondents claimed to change their behaviour to conserve water during 2006. Regarding the future, and under a number of different scenarios, people were more inclined to accept restrictions than agree to pay more to ensure the supply of water. They were concerned about climate change and recognized that more frequent water shortages may be one of the impacts, but this concern did not necessarily translate into action. Barriers to engagement with climate change and water-efficient behaviour included a lack of accessible information, a lack of knowledge regarding the integration of environmental spheres, a lack of resources, and a perceived lack of institutional engagement. The barriers identified appear to pose a major challenge to successful adaptation to climate change.     

Is there a trade-off between households’ precautions,mitigations and public protection for flood risk?

This paper evaluates willingness-to-pay (WTP) for flood insurance and floodgate installation in Tainan, Taiwan, and finds that household flood precaution (observing the water level) has a minor effect in terms of increasing the WTP for flood insurance, rather than decreasing it. The reason for this is that people who have public flood protection nearby do not lower their WTP for floodgate and insurance, and those who live near the water source of floods and exhibit precautionary behavior have higher risk perceptions and intend to pay more. The adopted mitigation (having sandbags or other barriers) will not affect the intention to further mitigate or buy insurance. This also means that adverse selection in relation to flood insurance is not serious in the flood-prone area of Tainan. Households may be aware of the limitation of public flood protection though the precautionary behavior, and found that flood insurance can compensate for most of the flood damage.     

上海市居民对城市暴雨内涝的风险感知与适应行为研究

气候变化背景下,适应城市极端天气风险不仅是政府的责任,也越来越需要公众参与。然而,对风险感知、适应感知和适应行为响应的影响因素,以及三者之间的内在联系还缺乏系统认识。通过问卷调研上海市居民发现：(1)风险感知可以促进适应感知,二者均与收入和教育水平等显著正相关。(2)与关注预警信息和使用防水防潮材料等个人适应行为相比,居民对集体行为的响应程度更高,如增加绿地面积和提高监测预警准确性等。(3)适应行为的影响因素可归纳为：信息通达性、社区归属感、适应意愿、适应激励、风险感知和适应感知,其中信息通达性和适应激励是显著提高个人适应行为的关键因素。     

Risk transference and related trends: driving forces towards more mega-disasters

Abstract

In recent decades, the global cost of natural disasters has increased substantially. There are several trends in society and nature that suggest this pattern may continue, with more frequent mega-disasters occurring in the future. In particular, risk perception that is at odds with the “reala” risk underlies the process of risk transference which encourages development that increases long-term vulnerability.     

What affects perceptions of local residents toward protected areas? A case study from Kure Mountains National Park,Turkey

Local residents’ active participation is essential in protected areas to ensure achievement of conservation goals. One of the important steps for ensuring the active participation of local residents is to determine the perceptions and the factors that influence the perceptions of the local residents toward the protected area. In this context, the researchers of this study try to come up with the perception formed among the local residents toward the protected areas and especially toward Kure Mountains National Park (KMNP), the factors that would influence their perceptions and the ways how their perceptions are influenced. Multivariate linear regression was used to examine the putative influence of variables on perceptions toward protected areas. According to study results, the survey respondents have displayed a positive perception toward the protected areas in the world and in KMNP. It was determined that the respondents formed a positive perception from their economic, environmental and recreational interaction with KMNP. Also, the outcomes of this study showed that the perception developed by local residents toward the protected areas in the world and KMNP are influenced by gender, the level of satisfaction derived from the national park, duration of their residence in the national park, and that the perception that KMNP conservation are beneficial for the source values of the area, the current protection works in the world, as well as its impacts on their living conditions.     

社会减灾能力信任及水灾风险感知的区域对比——基于江西九江和宜春公众的调查

研究公众对社会减灾能力及灾害风险的认识,有助于从公众视角揭示风险潜在因素,不仅是进行风险沟通的必备环节,还可以为开展有效的减灾宣传教育、提高公众减灾意识提供决策依据。通过社会调查（221份样本）和统计分析方法,比较了江西九江、宜春公众对于社会减灾能力的信任及水灾风险感知。结果表明,公众对于社会减灾能力基本持信任态度,信任度高低排序为：灾害监测预报>政府应急>防灾工程>预警传播,其中宜春公众的信任度较高;公众对于水灾的风险感知较弱,尤其是宜春公众认为水灾发生、受灾的可能性很小;公众的信任与对区域减灾能力的了解无关,主要是受到受灾经历（受灾次数、灾情损失、灾后救援）的影响,即区域本底灾害风险的高低导致公众认知的差异,风险较高区域（九江）的公众具有更为明确的降低风险的行为倾向及意愿。     

界遗产“突出的普遍价值”及其游客感知研究

成为世界遗产仅是遗产保护和价值阐释、传播的起点,但世界遗产“突出的普遍价值”(OUV)的评价问题一直存在着全球视野和本土意境下的阐释差异.文章以中国进入世界遗产名录和预备名录的三清山、九寨沟、江南水乡为例,阐释突出的普遍价值OtV(概念+十项评估标准+完整性和/或原真性+足够的保护和管理机制),提出了将国际语境与本土语境有机结合的OUV评价新标准.首先,OUV虽然是联合国教科文组织UNESCO在评选世界遗产时的主要依据,但在挣脱国家界限特别是要求当事国按照OUV的标准、惯例进行管理的过程中,存在价值丢失的问题.其次,虽然OUV是由UNESCO的专家委员会进行评价和比较分析得出(显然定性、无分值的),但通过强化量表设计过程的逻辑判断和理性对待信度和效度问题,OUV可以通过liket量表进行测量,结果显示OUV能够被公众理解和欣赏.再次,OUV的专家评价和公众评价既存在共性特征,亦存在差异特征(即价值丢失部分),并表现为不同的用途,遗产地的管理者如能将OUV的世界语境与本土化语境有机结合,能够避免价值丢失问题的出现.建议三清山在“奇峰怪石、峡谷幽云、植被生态、高空栈道”的OUV世界语境基础上,同样需要重视“道教名山”的本土化语境.建议江南水乡严格保护水乡古镇的外围水乡地域环境,它们对于理解江南水乡的OUV,特别是其完整性、原真性的必然要求都是不可或缺的.遗产地的管理者同样需要综合看待专家评价和公众评价.江南水乡案例生动的诠释,专家评价有其科学性和严肃性,“建构的原真性”、“后现代的原真性”,亦或是“存在的原真性”,它们永远不可能替代“客观的原真性”.考虑到OUV的阐释,公众评价同样有着重要的用途,特别是其社会教育意义、精神信仰和国家认同意义等.