Gender-Related Differences in Flood Risk Perception and Behaviours among Private Groundwater Users in the Republic of Ireland

Abstract

Extreme weather events including flooding can have severe personal, infrastructural, and economic consequences, with recent evidence pointing to surface flooding as a pathway for the microbial contamination of private groundwater supplies. There is a pressing need for increasingly focused information and awareness campaigns to highlight the risks posed by extreme weather events and appropriate subsequent post-event actions. To date, little is known about the presence, directionality or magnitude of gender-related differences regarding flood risk awareness and behaviour among private groundwater users, a particularly susceptible sub-population due to an overarching paucity of infrastructural regulation across many regions. The current study investigated gender-related differences in flood risk perception and associated mitigation behaviours via a cross-sectional, national survey of 405 (168 female, 237 male) private groundwater supply users. The developed survey instrument assessed socio-demographic profile, previous flood experience, experiential and conjectural health behaviours (contingent on previous experience), and Risk, Attitude, Norms, Ability, Self-regulation (RANAS) framework questions. Statistically significant gender differences were found between both ‘Norm—Descriptive’ and ‘Ability—Self-efficacy’ RANAS elements (p < 0.05). Female respondents reported a lower level of awareness of the need for post-flood action(s) (8.9% vs. 16.5%), alongside a perceived “lack of information” as a reason for not testing their domestic well (4.9% vs. 11.5%). Conversely, male respondents were more likely to report awareness of their well location in relation to possible contamination sources (96.6% vs. 89.9%) and awareness of previous water testing results (98.9% vs. 93.0%). Gender-related gaps exist within the studied private groundwater reliant cohort, a sub-population which has to date remained under-studied within the context of climate change and extreme weather events. Accordingly, findings suggest that gender-focused communication and education may represent an effective tool for protecting current and future generations of global groundwater users.

Citizens’ Perception of Geohazards in Veneto Region (NE Italy) in the Context of Climate Change

“…These results appear to align with the available literature, that is dotted with reports on how gender actually influences the perception of risk and of personal risk [58,78,79], to the extent of altering the approach towards each phase of dealing with a disaster [80]. Nonetheless, such polarization of perception with gender is not always consistent [81] and it might also be affected by the conditions of the surrounding environment, especially in terms of exposure to recurring multiple hazards [82]. Finally, it has also been pointed out that gender might play a significant role in shaping risk perception and response due to the social construct related to it, in terms of norms, behaviors, attitudes and limitations [83].…”

Individual cognitive style affects flood‐risk perception and mitigation intentions

“…This literature provided evidence that the level of perceived risk is not universally valid across individuals. In contrast, risk perception is influenced by a broad spectrum of variables including demographics (e.g., gender; Flynn et al., 1994; McDowell et al., 2020), ideologies (e.g., political orientation; Carlton & Jacobson, 2013; Peters & Slovic, 1996), and sociopsychological factors (e.g., environmental concerns; perceived controllability of the event; prior experience; Azadi et al., 2019; Kellstedt et al., 2008; Slimak & Dietz, 2006; Trumbo et al., 2011).…”

Assessing Risk Perception over Recidivist Traffic Offenders from a Multi-group Approach: How Gendered Could It Be?

“…Also, other recent studies addressing risk perceptions in regards to both traditional and emerging issues for public health such as COVID-19, chronic diseases and natural disasters (McDowell et al, 2020) have concluded that, beyond the average outcomes potentially observable between genders, the way that males and females develop risk-related appraisals of certain circumstances and individuals can largely vary in terms of nature, structure, and dynamics (Rhodes & Pivik, 2011;Useche et al, 2021). Indeed, various studies performed from the perspective of legal psychology in relation to other riskrelated issues, such as violence and aggression, do not only show how (from the earliest stages of development) gender may explain key behavioral differences, but how these discrepancies also apply to their attitudes and perceptions in regard to these risk-related behaviors (Del Hoyo-Bilbao et al, 2020;Loinaz & Sousa, 2019).…”