1. Coastal Flooding, Uncertainty and Climate Change: Science as a Solution to (mis) Perceptions? A Qualitative Enquiry in Three Coastal European Settings
- Author
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Vanderlinden, J.P., Baztan, J., Touili, N., Kane, I.O., Rulleau, B., Diaz Simal, P., Pietrantoni, L., Prati, G., Zagonari, F., Cultures, Environnements, Arctique, Représentations, Climat (CEARC), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Environnement, territoires et infrastructures (UR ETBX), Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA), Universidad de Cantabria [Santander], Alma Mater Studorum, Universita di Bologna, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), and Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna (UNIBO)
- Subjects
climatic change ,social representation ,coastal area ,CHANGEMENT CLIMATIQUE ,ZONE COTIERE ,social perception ,REPRESENTATION SOCIALE ,PERCEPTION SOCIALE ,[SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environmental and Society - Abstract
International audience; This paper contributes to the understanding of the interface between risk perception and climate change risk mitigation in coastal areas. In particular, we analyse the role of science-based knowledge and the so called “knowledge gap” in coastal stakeholders' verbalized perceptions of coastal risk. We use a qualitative approach to analyse of a corpus of 29 interviews conducted in three coastal European settings: Santander Bay (Spain), the Gironde Estuary (France), and Cesenatico (Italy). This analysis of stakeholders' perceptions of flood risk shows: (i) the science-based understanding of flooding as a probabilistic process is not always present and has little impact on the stated perceptions; and (ii) stakeholders and society as a whole frame risk mostly through values and norms. Given these findings, an increase in science-based knowledge within the world of coastal risk governance under climate change would contribute to safer coasts, provided that the production of science-based knowledge takes into account stakeholder values through a proactive dialogue with stakeholders.
- Published
- 2017
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