Communicating adaptation with emotions

The Role of Intense Experiences in Raising Concern About Extreme Weather

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4884262
AutoresEleftheria Vasileiadou, W J Wouter Botzen (0000-0002-8563-4963)
Ano2014
Volume19
Fascículo2
Páginas36
Data de publicação2014-01-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoConservation Ecology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1195-5449 • E-ISSN: 1708-3087
EditoraResilience Alliance (PUBLISHER • CA)
DOI10.5751/es-06474-190236
OpenAlexW2735528609
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas7

Adaptation to extreme weather is often considered as having a low urgency and being a low priority governance option, even though the intensity of extreme weather events is expected to increase as a result of climate change. An important issue is how to raise an adequate level of concern among individuals, policy makers, and broader decision makers in companies and organizations so that adaptation to extreme events becomes mainstream practice. We conducted 40 indepth interviews with individuals from different sectors in The Netherlands to identify the different types of experiences with extreme events, as well as the relationship between such experiences and the level of concern about extreme weather. Our results indicate that individuals who have experienced an intense, life-threatening event have a significantly higher level of concern than those without such an experience. Professional experience and secondhand experience through participating in information events do not significantly affect the level of concern about extreme events. This suggests limited intervention possibilities for communication of adaptation, as well as for raising support for adaptation measures. Framing adaptation measures in relation to personal circumstances and emotions during extreme events could help raise concern about extreme weather events, as well as societal support for adaptation measures

Business · Climate change · Environmental resource management · Extreme weather · Geography · Mainstream · Political science · Public relations · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Disaster Management and Resilience · Environmental Science · Psychology · Public Relations and Crisis Communication · Ecology