Place attachment and natural environmental risk: research review and agenda

Little is known about place attachment affecting natural environmental risk perception and coping. A systematic search of social science databases revealed 31 works (1996-2016) directly addressing these variables in relation to different types of natural environmental risks (e.g., seismic, volcanic, etc.). Across different contexts, they show: (a) positive and/or negative relationship between place attachment and natural environmental risk perception; (b) positive and/or negative relationship between place attachment and risk coping; and (c) mediating and moderating relationships. Accordingly, results show that: (a) highly attached individuals perceive natural environmental risks but underestimate their effects; (b) highly attached individuals are unwilling to relocate when facing natural environmental risks and more likely to return to risky areas after a natural environmental disaster; (c) place attachment acts both as a mediating and moderating variable between risk perception and coping. Place attachment thus needs to have a greater impact in natural environmentalal risk management.