Deltares - R&D Highlights 2009

Contact: herman.vandermost@deltares.nl +31 (0)88 335 8570 Perception and risk communication when managing fl ood risks The PROMO research project looked at perception and communication relating to fl ood risks. The project included three diff erent research components: a socio-psychological, a socioeconomic and an institutional component. The socio-psychological component examined the determinants of risk perception, the intentions of the public to prepare for fl ooding and the eff ectiveness of risk communication in terms of raising risk awareness. The socio-economic component focused on the economic aspects of risk perception, including the willingness of households to pay for fl ood risk reduction. The institutional component addressed the perspectives for, and possible obstacles to, the implementation of a risk-based watersafety policy. The project included extensive surveys of how approximately 1500 households perceived risks. The households were located in diff erent dike rings areas: the coastal dike rings of Zeeland (28, 29 and 30), the dike ring 36 along the river Meuse and the dike ring 22, Isle of Dordrecht in the Lower Rivers region. These dike rings diff er in terms of their fl ood protection level. The surveys included various questions relating to risk perception and people’s attitudes to diff erent preparatory measures, such as looking for emergency information, acquiring an emergency kit, making appointments with family and neighbours or purchasing insurance. The intentional behaviour of the public was analysed by applying and extending the Protective Action Decision Model developed by Lindell & Perry. The research shows the average Dutch citizen perceives risks as being low/very low, and that the Dutch public has little intention to make preparations for fl ooding. Looking for emergency information was considered the most eff ective preparatory measure. Even so, only about 30% of the respondents said they would be looking for such information in the near 36

future. The project also looked at diff erent approaches to risk communication. The current generic approach was found to be ineff ective. To be eff ective, risk communication should focus on the local fl ood risk, response effi cacy and the self-effi cacy of possible preparatory measures. Experiments with a local tailormade approach of this kind indicate that it is a promising way of achieving more eff ective risk communication. The socio-economic component also investigated to what extent fl ood risk plays a role in the location/re-location of industry. A survey of some 200 Dutch companies made it clear that fl ood risk hardly plays a role in location decisions. Open interviews, however, suggest that perceived fl ood risk may play a role in the decisions of some foreign companies. Further reading T. Terpstra, Flood Preparedness. Thoughts, Feelings and Intentions of the Dutch Public. PhD thesis, University of Twente, 2009 Finance • Leven met Water • DG-Water • Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom relations • STOWA • province Zuid-Holland • province Zeeland Cooperation • Deltares • University Twente • TU Delſt • ITC • TNO • HKV Lijn in Water 37

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