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Riparian landowner decision-making in the context of flooding: an application of the theory of planned behavior

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Abstract

This study centers upon understanding pro-environmental behavior to reduce flood risk among the private land-owning populace. As the trend of increasing number and severity of extreme rainfall events that cause flooding in the northeastern United States continues, such research can produce timely insights—especially given the preponderance of privately owned land in the United States. In this study, we were particularly interested in uncovering the role of ascription of personal responsibility to self and others, motivational and resource barriers, and risk in landowner behaviors to reduce flood risk. We surveyed riparian landowners in the Hudson Valley region of New York State to gain insight on landowner decision-making and behavior regarding the pro-environmental behavior of planting or maintaining riparian buffers on their property. We administered a quantitative survey to streamside landowners using an adapted theory of planned behavior model. Results show that past experience with flooding, attitude towards riparian buffers, past behavior, along with personal responsibility for oneself, personal motivation for the act, and norms were all significant predictors of planting or maintaining a riparian buffer. As the flood risk in the Hudson Valley continues to increase, the results of this study have important implications for understanding what motivates riparian private landowners to manage their land in a way that can mitigate flooding.

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Acknowledgements

We greatly appreciate the time of the Hudson Valley landowners who participated in this survey. Funding for this study was provided by NYS Water Resources Institute and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program, with support from the NYS Environmental Protection Fund. We would also like to thank the members of the Hudson Estuary Resiliency Project team as they provided valuable guidance on the survey instrument. Mail survey and phone survey implementation was conducted by the Survey Research Institute (SRI) at Cornell University.

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  1. Center for Conservation Social Sciences, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, 102 Fernow Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA

    Shorna Allred & Gretchen Gary

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  1. Shorna Allred
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Correspondence to Shorna Allred.

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Allred, S., Gary, G. Riparian landowner decision-making in the context of flooding: an application of the theory of planned behavior. Environ Syst Decis 39, 396–408 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-019-09735-1

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