Immigration status, flood risk perception, and policy support : lessons from Richmond, Canada
department or school: Science, Faculty of
department or school: Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), Institute for
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Cheng, Yuqing
issued: 2024-07-25T19:48:54Z
issued: 2024
related degree: Master of Science - MSc
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: Coastal flood protection measures are increasingly vital due to climate change and rising sea levels, and their long-term success depends on both technical efficacy and local community support. Coastal green infrastructure (CGI) supplements traditional hard structures (THS) for managing floods, offering both coastal erosion prevention and ecological benefits. Prior studies show that immigrant and non-immigrant groups differ in environmental risk perceptions and landscape preferences; however, little is known about their respective views on climate change-related coastal flooding. This study explores factors that influence public perceptions of coastal flood risk and support for CGI, focusing on how such perceptions and support vary across population subgroups based on immigration status. Three groups were compared: recent immigrants and temporary residents (RITR, defined as those having migrated to Canada within the last 5 years and those on study and work permits), long-term immigrants (LI, defined as those having migrated to Canada over 5 years ago), and those born in Canada (BIC). A questionnaire survey was conducted in Richmond, British Columbia – where immigrants constitute over 60% of the population – between July and September 2023. Results showed high general perception of coastal flooding risks among participants, with LI and BIC groups exhibiting higher risk perceptions than RITR group. These differences were partly due to immigration status moderating the relationships between risk perception and its determining factors: for LI and BIC groups, risk perceptions were primarily driven by hazard awareness; for the RITR group, factors such as awareness of existing flood protections, access to flood-related information, and homeownership also played significant roles. Most participants supported including CGI in flood risk management strategies. More BIC participants favored hybrid solutions, while more LI and RITR participants abstained from an opinion. Immigr…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/88697
note: IMMIGRATION STATUS, FLOOD RISK PERCEPTION, AND POLICY SUPPORT: LESSONS FROM RICHMOND, CANADA by Yuqing Cheng B.Sc., The University of British Columbia, 2022 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Resources, Environment and Sustainability) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) July 2024 © Yuqing Cheng, 2024 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, the thesis entitled: Immigration Status, Flood Risk Perception, and Policy Support: Lessons from Richmond, Canada submitted by Yuqing Cheng in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Resources, Environment and Sustainability Examining Committee: Dr. Stephanie Chang, Professor, Institute for Resource, Environment and Sustainability, UBC Supervisor Dr. Ethan Raker, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, UBC Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Terre Satterfield, Professor, Institute for Resource, Environment and Sustainability, UBC Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Holly Caggiano, Assistant Professor, School of Community and Regional Planning, UBC Additional Examiner iii Abstract Coastal flood protection measures are increasingly vital due to climate change and rising sea levels, and their long-term success depends on both technical efficacy and local community support. Coastal green infrastructure (CGI) supplements traditional hard structures (THS) for managing floods, offering both coastal erosion prevention and ecological benefits. Prior studies show that immigrant and non-immigrant groups differ in environmental risk perceptions and landscape preferences; however, little is known about their respective views on climate change-related coastal flooding. This study explores factors that influence public perceptions of coastal flood risk and support for CGI, focusing on …
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2024-11
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0444817
language: eng
degree discipline: Resources, Environment and Sustainability
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
contributor: Chang, S. E. (Stephanie Ei-Ling)
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/88697