Hazard Perception Research Articles

Tourists’ behavior for volcanic disaster risk reduction: A case study of Mount Aso in Japan

Despite preceding research on the general public's knowledge and perceptions of natural hazards, there remains a lack of information specifically on volcanoes in Japan. This study seeks to determine whether people who had visited Mount Aso—one of the active volcanoes in Japan—had taken any self-protective measures. We asked people who visited the area around the crater of Mount Aso about their thoughts and actions related to volcanic disaster risk reduction. Internet-based questionnaires were disseminated nationally via the Rakuten Research, Inc. platform. The total sample size was 400. The logistic regression analysis shows that on-site information provided near the craters—such as knowledge of past damage, bulletin boards, and broadcasts—had a relatively greater impact on safety-seeking actions than prior checking of websites and the Volcanic Alert Level by tourists. Based on our findings, future evidence-based policies regarding volcanic disaster risk reduction should emphasize on-site efforts together with wide dissemination of publicly available information, including the Volcanic Alert Level.

Hazard identification and risk assessment of Abuja rail mass transit

Abstract Due to multiple advantages in terms of capacity, safety, dependability and punctuality, rail mass transit plays a vital role in easing urban traffic congestion. In addition, rail mass transit is environmentally friendly. Even though it is beneficial to passengers in urban areas, security issues have become increasingly serious in recent years. To improve the safety and dependability of the rail mass transit system to some extent and limit the loss to a bare minimum, it is necessary to identify and evaluate the hazards connected with rail mass transit in the early stages of the system's operation. Against this backdrop, this research employs a risk matrix approach to examine the dangers connected with Abuja's rail mass transit system (ARMT). The questionnaire is designed and delivered to 100 participants, including personnel and passengers, to get their perceptions of hazards at the ARMT. The questionnaire is the initial step in the research process. The four safety variables discussed in this study are human error, equipment design failure, environmental conditions and management. Human error is the most significant factor covered in this research. Understanding the source of risk stemming from these four safety variables at the early stages of rail mass transit operation can significantly improve the system's overall safety and reliability, which can be paramount. According to the findings of the investigations, human-related activity is the most significant possible cause of risk at that ARMT, with a high level of risk portrayed by the data.

Psychosocial stress and risk assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic: Some preliminary thoughts

Human life and activities are associated with risk, as risk is inherent in all forms of human existence and action. Risk is regarded as a phenomenological variable considering how people perceive it, especially during a crisis they experience. This paper discusses the characteristics of human behavior in a crisis, with an emphasis on hazard perception and risk assessment, for the purpose of understanding people’s decisions and adaptation before, during, and after a crisis. The discussion focuses on the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic.

Hazard Perception in Driving: A Systematic Literature Review

Hazard perception (HP) is the process of detecting and identifying hazards. Drivers’ HP abilities are critical for driving safety. This paper presents a systematic literature review of driver HP, including scientific measures of HP, major human factors affecting HP, and training methods for improving HP skills. Sixty-nine peer-reviewed studies were identified and reviewed. The results showed that common measures of HP include hazard scenario questionnaires, HP reaction time, hazard hit rate, and eye fixation measures such as fixation probability, fixation reaction time, fixation duration, and fixation variance. Major human factors that affect HP include experience, aging, fatigue, distraction, and the use of alcohol and drugs. Various training methods have been developed to train and improve drivers’ HP skills. In general, there is evidence in the literature showing the effectiveness of HP training. A combination of complementary training approaches such as instruction, expert demonstration, and active practice with feedback and attention support the use of picture-, video-, computer-, and simulator-based training methods to improve HP performance in shorter HP reaction time, higher hazard hit rate, and better eye scan patterns (more spread scan, more anticipatory scan). These findings could guide future work developing and designing HP training programs. Three future research areas are identified and discussed: the need for standardized HP tests, long-term testing of HP training programs, and new HP questions and challenges brought by partially automated vehicles.

Application of the adverse outcome pathway concept for investigating developmental neurotoxicity potential of Chinese herbal medicines by using human neural progenitor cells in vitro

Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) are organized sequences of key events (KEs) that are triggered by a xenobiotic-induced molecular initiating event (MIE) and summit in an adverse outcome (AO) relevant to human or ecological health. The AOP framework causally connects toxicological mechanistic information with apical endpoints for application in regulatory sciences. AOPs are very useful to link endophenotypic, cellular endpoints in vitro to adverse health effects in vivo. In the field of in vitro developmental neurotoxicity (DNT), such cellular endpoints can be assessed using the human “Neurosphere Assay,” which depicts different endophenotypes for a broad variety of neurodevelopmental KEs. Combining this model with large-scale transcriptomics, we evaluated DNT hazards of two selected Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) Lei Gong Teng (LGT) and Tian Ma (TM), and provided further insight into their modes-of-action (MoA). LGT disrupted hNPC migration eliciting an exceptional migration endophenotype. Time-lapse microscopy and intervention studies indicated that LGT disturbs laminin-dependent cell adhesion. TM impaired oligodendrocyte differentiation in human but not rat NPCs and activated a gene expression network related to oxidative stress. The LGT results supported a previously published AOP on radial glia cell adhesion due to interference with integrin-laminin binding, while the results of TM exposure were incorporated into a novel putative, stressor-based AOP. This study demonstrates that the combination of phenotypic and transcriptomic analyses is a powerful tool to elucidate compounds’ MoA and incorporate the results into novel or existing AOPs for a better perception of the DNT hazard in a regulatory context.Graphical abstract

The Effect of Safety Claims on Consumer Chemical Product Perceptions and the Role of Warnings.

To assess the effect of safety claims and warnings on perceptions of consumer chemical products. Manufacturers have two contradictory objectives: to increase sales by emphasizing the positive aspects of a product and to protect consumers from hazards of the product. One of the strategies that some manufactures have devised to achieve these goals is to use anti-warnings. Safety claims placed on consumer chemical products were examined to determine if anti-warnings influenced product perceptions. Two experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, three consumer chemical products with manipulated safety claims were presented to 300 participants, who completed a survey to rate their perceptions of the products. In Experiment 2, the same products with the safety claims and added warnings were presented to 600 participants and were rated using the same measurements as Experiment 1. Safety claims on product labels decreased perceived hazards compared to no safety claims on products in both Experiments 1 and 2. In Experiment 2, added warnings raised the perceived hazards. The use of safety claims on consumer chemical products had an effect on product perceptions by decreasing hazard perceptions. The addition of strong warnings on product labels mitigated this effect. This research provides empirical evidence suggesting that the use of safety claims decreased hazard perceptions of potentially hazardous consumer chemical products and can serve as a possible form of anti-warnings.

Secondhand smoke exposure and its influencing factors among Chinese people aged 15 years and above in 2010 and 2018

Objective: To investigate secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among non-current smokers aged 15 and over and its influencing factors in China in 2010 and 2018. Methods: The 2010 and 2018 China Adult Tobacco Surveys used multistage stratified cluster random sampling methods to obtain national representative samples across 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China. This study selected non-current smokers aged 15 and over as the research subjects to describe the general demographic characteristics, perceptions of SHS hazards, attitudes towards smoking bans in indoor areas in public places, and SHS exposure and the smoking restriction regulations in different places. The Rao-Scott χ2 test was used to compare the rates, and the unconditional logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of SHS exposure. All the subjects in the analysis were weighted based on a complex sampling design. Results: Among non-current smokers aged 15 and over, from 2010 to 2018, the percentage of indoor smokers had decreased from 84.7% to 71.9%. The rates of people who saw smoking in various places declined with a statistically significant difference (P<0.001). The exposure to SHS for females, people aged 45-64, teachers, medical staff, workers in enterprises, businesses, waiters, and people who live in rural and central areas declined. The differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). In 2018, the percentage of SHS exposure for those who reported a comprehensive smoking ban in households or allowed smoking in certain areas was lower than for those who reported allowed or without a smoking ban. Among those aged 25-44, SHS exposure for those who reported complete smoking prohibition in workplaces was lower than those who reported allowed or without smoking prohibition (OR=0.65, 95%CI: 0.49-0.87). The proportion of SHS exposure for those who believe that smoking should not be allowed in indoor areas of 0-5 public places is higher than that smoking should not be allowed in the indoor spaces of 8 public places (OR=2.13, 95%CI: 1.35-3.36). Among people aged 45-64, the proportions of SHS exposure for teachers (OR=0.37, 95%CI: 0.17-0.78) and medical staff (OR=0.35, 95%CI: 0.16-0.76) and staff working in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery, and water conservancy were lower than governmental staff (OR=0.49, 95%CI: 0.29-0.84). Conclusions: Data from the decreased exposure of Chinese non-current smokers aged 15 and over to SHS suggests the initial achievement through constructing a smoke-free environment, but continued efforts are needed. It is necessary to actively advocate for smoke-free families, strengthen publicity and education on the hazards of tobacco and SHS, and improve the skills of non-smokers in rejecting SHS exposure.

An exploratory study of drivers’ EEG response during emergent collision avoidance

Introduction: EEG (electroencephalogram) has been applied as a valuable measure to estimate drivers’ mental status and cognitive workload during driving tasks. However, most previous studies have focused on the EEG features at particular driver status, such as fatigue or distraction, with less attention paid to EEG response in emergent and safety–critical situations. This study aims to investigate the underlying patterns of different EEG components during an emergent collision avoidance process. Method: A driving simulator experiment was conducted with 38 participants (19 females and 19 males). The scenario included a roadside pedestrian who suddenly crossed the road when the driver approached. The participants’ EEG data were collected during the pedestrian-collision avoidance process. The log-transformed power and power ratio of four typical EEG components (i.e., delta, theta, alpha and beta) were extracted from four collision avoidance stages: Stage 1-normal driving stage, Stage 2-hazard perception stage, Stage 3-evasive action stage, and Stage 4-post-hazard stage. Results: The activities of all four EEG bands changed consistently during the collision avoidance process, with the power increased significantly from Stage 1 to Stage 4. Drivers who collided with the pedestrian and drivers who avoided the collision successfully did not show a significant difference in EEG activity across the stages. Male drivers had a higher delta power ratio and lower alpha power ratio than females in both hazard perception and evasive action stages. Conclusions: Enhanced activities of different EEG bands could be concurrent at emergent and safety–critical situations. Female drivers were more mentally aroused than male drivers during the collision avoidance process. Practical Applications: The study generates more understanding of drivers’ neurophysiological response in an emergent and safety–critical collision avoidance event. Driver state monitoring and warning systems that aim to assist drivers in impending collisions may utilize the patterns of EEG activity identified in the collision avoidance process.

Young drivers’ perception of hazards: Variation with experience and day versus night

Young novice drivers have a relatively high crash risk for several years following initial licensing, and while all drivers are at greater risk at night, the night-time increase is greater for inexperienced drivers. Poor hazard perception has been identified as an important contributor to inexperienced drivers’ risk, but research on day-night differences in hazard perception for drivers varying in experience is lacking. This exploratory study investigated the nature of hazards reported by young inexperienced drivers versus more experienced and slightly older drivers. Hazards were not pre-identified by researchers; participants were simply provided with a general definition of ‘hazard’. Analysis focused on how experience level affected qualitative differences in the kinds of hazards reported, with particular focus on day-night differences.The 53 participants ranged in driving experience from learners through to 5+years post licensing, and in age from 16 to 30 years. They viewed 14 day- and night-time video clips of a diverse range of driving situations, pausing the video whenever they identified a hazard and then explaining why they had paused it at that point. Their responses were recorded. Content analysis of responses showed that more experienced drivers reported visibility-related hazards significantly more often than inexperienced ones, and significantly more so at night. They also commented significantly more on hazards related to tight bends in the road and significantly less on hazards concerning compliance with rules. Comments tended to be fewer with higher vehicle speeds, particularly for the least experienced drivers.Results are discussed in terms of how experience-related differences in drivers’ cognitive schemata and mental models are likely to affect hazard perception and crash risk, particularly at night. Some implications for driver training and license testing are suggested.

Concurrent 19. Presentation for: Mental health and the resources sector: findings from a research program to promote effective mental health solutions

Presented on Wednesday 18 May: Session 19 This paper outlines a multifaceted national workplace mental health research program that incorporated assessment of individual level, work characteristics and organisational factors on mental health among workers in the resources sector within Australia and internationally. This multistep program included: identification of level of mental health and substance use problems in an Australian national study; examination of risk and protective factors (work roles, social networks and location); attitudes to seeking mental health assistance; organisational policies regarding mental health within a workplace health and safety framework; piloting a resources-specific workplace mental health program for team leaders and supervisors and a workplace suicide prevention program; and application of digital mental health interventions to this sector. Additional linked studies in New South Wales and Queensland in the resources sector assessed personal factors influencing perception of workplace physical risks and hazards, risk behaviours and opportunities for risk mitigation; and links between mental and physical health factors. A summary of the key findings are presented within the context of a program of research addressing mental health within remote settings in the resources sector. Mental health-related problems are highly prevalent among workers in remote resource settings, which has significant implications for workplace health and safety. Strategies to address prevention and effective intervention need to be tailored to the industry and employee characteristics, and address models of mental health care that are feasible and accessible in often remote and challenging environments. To access the presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here

Age Differences in Hazard Perception of Drivers: The Roles of Emotion.

With the increasingly powerful functions of vehicle-mounted entertainment facilities, people (especially young drivers) like to listen to music while driving to render different atmospheres and emotions. However, emotions are important factors affecting drivers’ decisions, behavior and may reduce drivers’ hazard perception (HP), even promote dangerous driving behaviors of drivers. The purpose of this study is to explore the young and elderly drivers in assessing the HP difference under different emotional states. We conducted a 3 × 2 mixed experimental design with emotion as a within-participants variable and age as a between-participants factor. A sample of 14 young drivers (mean age = 22.21, SD = 1.05) and 13 elderly drivers (mean age = 54.08, SD = 2.72) completed the HP self-assessment of road traffic warning signs under negative emotion, neutral emotion, and positive emotion, randomly. The results showed that the young had the highest self-assessment HP under the negative emotion arousal condition, while the old had the highest self-assessment HP under the positive emotion arousal condition. In addition, When both groups were in a positive arousal state, the older group perceived more hazards than the young group. The results could help designers create driving emotions suitable for different driver groups, thus improving their perception of hazards and reducing risky driving.

The role of alcohol and drug intoxication in fatal drowning and other deaths that occur on the Australian coast

Introduction: Alcohol and drug (illicit or prescription) intoxication impairs motor skills, coordination, decision making abilities, hazard perception, and is known to increase the risk of death in coastal environments. Prior coastal safety research has focused largely on the impact of alcohol on drowning, with less research on the influence of drugs and leaving a significant number of other non-drowning fatalities largely excluded, despite being preventable with mitigation of injuries or medical factors. Method: This retrospective cross-sectional study explored the impact of alcohol and drugs on unintentional Australian drowning deaths and other coastal fatalities over a 16-year period to identify higher-risk populations and coastal activity groups for which alcohol/drug use is increased. Results: It was found that alcohol, benzodiazepines/sedatives, and amphetamine usage was prevalent in coastal deaths. Of the 2,884 coastal deaths, 80.6% of decedents had known toxicological data. Alcohol and/or drug intoxication contributed to 23% of coastal drowning deaths and 19% of fatalities. For drowning and other fatalities combined, 8.7% were due to alcohol, 8.7% due to drugs, and 4.1% due to both alcohol and drugs. Australian-born decedents were more likely to involve alcohol (RR = 1.7, 95%CI = 1.26–2.3, p < 0.001), drugs (RR = 2.62, 95%CI = 1.85–3.7, p < 0.001), or both alcohol and drugs (RR = 4.43, 95%CI = 2.51–7.82, p < 0.001) with an increased risk identified in Indigenous Australian populations (RR = 2.17, 95%CI = 1.12–4.24, p = 0.04). The impact of alcohol and drug intoxication varied by activity, with Personal Watercraft users more likely to die due to alcohol intoxication (RR = 2.67, 95%CI = 1.23–5.78, p = 0.035), while scuba divers (RR = 0, p < 0.001), snorkelers (RR = 0.14, 95%CI = 0.036–0.57, p < 0.001), and rock fishers (RR = 0.46, 95%CI = 0.22–0.96, p = 0.03) were less likely. Recreational jumping and fall-related coastal deaths were more likely to involve alcohol and alcohol/drugs combined. Practical Applications: This study identifies factors to further investigate or target with prevention strategies to decrease the holistic burden of mortality due to alcohol and/or drug usage on the Australian coast.

Correlations among self-report, static image, and video-based hazard perception assessments: The validity of a new Lithuanian hazard prediction test

Scholars suggest that improving hazard perception (HP) skills among different road users can lead to safer driving. To this end, a small number of countries have developed a national hazard perception test for their licensing procedures. The purpose of the current research is to develop and validate a new video-based hazard prediction test for the Lithuanian driving context. Eighty-eight drivers participated in the study. Initially, 25 naturalistic clips were included and edited into a hazard prediction test following the “what happens next?” paradigm. The overall score of the test was higher for experienced drivers when compared with novices. On further inspection the overall group difference was driven by 12 clips. The Lithuanian Hazard Perception test HPT-LIT featuring static images (Tūskė et al., 2019) and Hazard Perception Questionnaire developed by White et al. (2011) were used to validate the new test.This new version of the test (12 clips, LHP12) showed acceptable psychometric properties. Drivers with less driving experience demonstrated poorer hazard prediction skills than experienced drivers. The results revealed a negative correlation between hazard prediction scores on LHP12 and crash involvement in the novice driver group, as well as a positive correlation between prediction scores and self-reported hazard prediction skills. It was concluded that the new Lithuanian hazard test shows potential for future research.

Designing a Driver’s Hazard Perception Test Based on the Neural Brain Images Analysis (fMRI)

Background: Studies show that weakness in hazard perception is a major cause of traffic accidents, leading to high consequences. Objectives: This study aimed to design a valid and reliable driver’s Hazard Perception Test (HPT) based on neural imaging, reaction time, and miss rate in two groups of experienced and inexperienced drivers. Methods: Different roads, including urban, intercity, and rural, were filmed from drivers’ visual angles to examine the real road conditions. All videos were screened according to some quality factors. Then, hazard onset was determined for screened videos. The validity of the test was performed in three steps. Miss rates and reaction times to hazardous situations were measured. In the second step, 35 selected videos were broadcasted to 16 experienced and 16 novice drivers on a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Finally, using 18 videos with statistically significant differences in neuro-cerebral neuronal activity, miss rate and reaction time were picked up for driver’s HPT. Results: The mean differences in reaction time, miss rate, and active neurons in the task of perceiving hazards in two groups of drivers were equal to 1.58 seconds, 29.55%, and 5248 neurons, respectively. There was a significant correlation between active neurons and miss rate (r = 0.556, P &lt; 0.001). Eventually, the 18-videos of the valid test became HPT software. Conclusions: Application of this valid test is suggested for assessing the hazard perception of drivers, particularly those who are responsible for transporting staff and goods in the studied country.

Mental health and the resources sector: findings from a research program to promote effective mental health solutions

This paper outlines a multifaceted national workplace mental health research program that incorporated assessment of individual level, work characteristics and organisational factors on mental health among workers in the resources sector within Australia and internationally. This multistep program included: identification of level of mental health and substance use problems in an Australian national study; examination of risk and protective factors (work roles, social networks and location); attitudes to seeking mental health assistance; organisational policies regarding mental health within a workplace health and safety framework; piloting a resources-specific workplace mental health program for team leaders and supervisors and a workplace suicide prevention program; and application of digital mental health interventions to this sector. Additional linked studies in New South Wales and Queensland in the resources sector assessed personal factors influencing perception of workplace physical risks and hazards, risk behaviours and opportunities for risk mitigation; and links between mental and physical health factors. A summary of the key findings are presented within the context of a program of research addressing mental health within remote settings in the resources sector. Mental health-related problems are highly prevalent among workers in remote resource settings, which has significant implications for workplace health and safety. Strategies to address prevention and effective intervention need to be tailored to the industry and employee characteristics, and address models of mental health care that are feasible and accessible in often remote and challenging environments.

An analysis of the adolescents' hazard perception when crossing road from the perspective of personality characteristics based on an eye-tracking study.

Using the Road Situation Video Test Paradigm and Eye-Tracking Analysis Method, according to the two-stage processing model of hazard perception (HP), this study divides HP into two stages: perception and behaviour response, and compares the different roles of sensation seeking level in two different processing stages of perception and behaviour response when adolescents are crossing the road. The results show that: (1) In the perception stage, adolescents with high sensation seeking, especially boys with high sensation seeking perceive danger faster than boys with low sensation seeking and girls, they are more aware of danger. Particularly, boys with high sensation seeking show a stronger advantage of attention processing to hazard in the early stage of perception processing from 8th and 9th grades. (2) In the behaviour response stage, adolescents with high sensation seeking, especially the boys are less sensitive, have stricter judgment criteria, and are more likely to make dangerous decisions when crossing the road. Girls with different sensation seeking levels are more sensitive and more cautious when crossing the road, make the probability of judging dangerous situation is higher, so they choose a more conservative way, and may be less likely to across the road.

Influence of Job Stress and Safety Climate on Safety Performance in Indonesia Rock Mining Company

This study was carried out in one of Indonesia's rock mining companies. This company conducts mining operations with heavy equipment and strict safety protocols to ensure that mining is carried out safely. However, there are still a lot of accidents and complaints at this firm, and the employees are stressed out. This research aims to understand more about the safety climate and job stress and how they affect safety performance. An organization's perception of safety hazards in their workplace is known as the safety climate. Job stress is defined as a feeling of strain caused by an excessive workload and mental and emotional tension, which might impede individual performance. The quality of employee performance about safety objectives is referred to as safety performance. This study was carried out on all 85 employees of a mining company in Jambi, Indonesia, in the stone mining division. Using SPSS, this study used multiple linear regression to determine the impact of two factors on safety performance: safety climate and job stress. A simple linear regression test was used to examine the effect of safety performance on reputation and productivity. A simple linear regression test was used to investigate the impact of safety performance on reputation and productivity. A simple linear regression test was used to examine the effect of safety performance on reputation and productivity. The findings revealed that the two factors impacted safety performance if the sig value was less than 0.05 in this investigation. This study also discovered that performance level reputation and productivity.

Climate change, multi-hazards and society: An empirical study on the coastal community of Indian Sundarban

Effective mitigation and adaptation methods are critical for addressing multi-hazards in various parts of the world as a result of changing climate occurrences. Basically, coastal areas around the world have been proven to be particularly sensitive and at risk as a result of recent climate change, forcing people to relocate in order to survive. In the previous 2–3 years, cyclones such as Fani, Bulbul, Amphan, and Yass have wreaked havoc on eastern India's coastal region. The aim of this study is to look into the coastal population of Indian Sundarban's perceptions of hazards and their solutions for dealing with the growing threat of hazards. To measure perceptions of multi-hazard impact, a survey of 850 rural households was conducted in four different geographical regions (i.e. island, coastal, riverine, and inland). Several forms of coping techniques have been discovered, and the results differ from one geographical place to the next, demonstrating the different impact of risks in the studied area. It is obvious from the analysis that, with the exception of island households, other areas use a very limited number of adaptation mechanisms. When it comes to the amount of coping strategies used, it has been discovered that most inhabitants outside of islands use 1–3 techniques (nearly 56%) using food and finance as safeguard, but island dwellers use 4–6 strategies (nearly 78%) in form of asset related issues. Reducing the amount of food consumed, obtaining financing from various organizations, and migrating are some of the primary tactics used in the study region to combat the negative effects of climate change-related multi-hazards.

Public perception of flood hazards in the housing market: A revealed preference study of affect heuristics and availability heuristics

Are people neglecting natural hazards’ risk? The two main mental accounts of how laypeople judge natural hazard risks are the availability heuristic and the affect heuristic. However, these two mental accounts have rarely been compared alongside each other. Using flood hazards, this study argues that the affect heuristic and the availability heuristic should be considered together in assessing the public perception of the risks of natural hazards. Based on preferences revealed by property transactions in the Auckland Region in New Zealand, difference-in-differences hedonic models show that the positive affect heuristic associated with coastal amenities is dominant and moderating the negative affect heuristic from flood risks. Availability-by-recall, a heuristic that exploits people direct experience of risk, conformed to public responses at best after severe flood events. The impact of the availability heuristic of severe flooding events on property prices is similarly negative in the first six months and then declining over time after controlling for coastal amenities. This study concludes with a discussion of its policy implications, including how to calibrate public perception of the risk of natural hazards due to global warming and to raise their awareness of taking action against climate change.

Price recovery after the flood: risk to residential property values from climate change‐related flooding*

We take advantage of a combination of a severe weather event from 3 to 4 June 2015 and a local policy, to investigate the housing market response to climate change‐related flooding hazard. The study focuses on a residential area in a low‐lying coastal suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand, where the groundwater level is shallow and close to sea level. An unusually heavy rain event in June 2015 resulted in flooding of a significant portion of land in especially low‐lying areas. The city council responded by reviewing processes for storm‐water management and by imposing minimum‐floor‐level [MFL] requirements on new construction in the low‐lying areas previously identified as at risk of flooding. Applying a ‘diff‐in‐diff‐in‐diff’ strategy in hedonic regression analyses, we find that houses in the MFL zone sell for a discount of about 5 per cent prior to the flood. This discount briefly tripled in the area that flooded, but disappeared within 15 months, indicating either very short memory among homebuyers or no long‐run change in perception of hazard.