Double whammy? Are the most at risk the least aware? A study of environmental justice and awareness of flood risk in England and Wales

Abstract

This paper explores the environmental inequalities of living in the flood plains of England and Wales and the differences in flood awareness of those ‘at risk’. Large area differences are seen in both flood risk likelihood and also in flood awareness. Furthermore these differences are often class dependent. In all areas except the Midlands, the working classes are more likely to be resident in the flood plains and the greatest inequality is seen in the NE and in the Anglian region. It was found that flood awareness in some areas, especially the NE, was much lower than average and furthermore, these low perceptions of risk were disproportionately displayed by the most deprived. Wales was another region which shows low awareness but is high flood risk. But in Wales, it is the middle classes who exhibit the least awareness.

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