Water, worry, and wellbeing: Evaluating the impacts of floods and flood adaptation on life satisfaction

IF 7 1区心理学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Journal of Environmental Psychology Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-29 DOI:10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.102933

Laurine A. de Wolf , Peter J. Robinson , Thijs Endendijk , Jeroen C.J.H. Aerts , W.J. Wouter Botzen

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Floods have large societal impacts worldwide, causing both tangible and intangible damage resulting in loss of subjective wellbeing. The adaptive behavior of households can play an important role in minimizing these damages. To understand these dynamics, this study examines the effect of floods on life satisfaction and explores how flood adaptation can mitigate the negative impacts of floods on life satisfaction. Data was collected following the 2021 summer floods in the south of the Netherlands from approximately 1500 Dutch households who lived in flooded areas or faced the threat of the flood. The results reveal a negative effect of flood experiences on life satisfaction. Implementing structural adaptation measures was found to moderate this relationship. When structural measures are implemented, the negative impact of flood damage on life satisfaction is partially mitigated. In addition, we observe a drop in life satisfaction for low-income individuals who were not reimbursed for flood damages. These findings highlight the potential of flood adaptation in mitigating the loss of life satisfaction during a flood event and enhancing post-flood recovery.

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水、忧虑和幸福：评估洪水和洪水适应对生活满意度的影响

洪水在世界范围内具有巨大的社会影响，造成有形和无形的损害，导致主观幸福感的丧失。家庭的适应性行为可以在减少这些损害方面发挥重要作用。为了了解这些动态，本研究考察了洪水对生活满意度的影响，并探讨了洪水适应如何减轻洪水对生活满意度的负面影响。在荷兰南部2021年夏季洪水之后，从大约1500个居住在洪水地区或面临洪水威胁的荷兰家庭中收集了数据。结果显示洪水经历对生活满意度有负面影响。实施结构适应措施可以缓和这种关系。当采取结构性措施时，洪水灾害对生活满意度的负面影响部分减轻。此外，我们还观察到，没有得到洪水赔偿的低收入人群的生活满意度有所下降。这些发现强调了洪水适应在减轻洪水事件期间生活满意度损失和加强灾后恢复方面的潜力。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Environmental Psychology Multiple-

CiteScore

10.60

自引率

8.70%

发文量

140

审稿时长

62 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Environmental Psychology is the premier journal in the field, serving individuals in a wide range of disciplines who have an interest in the scientific study of the transactions and interrelationships between people and their surroundings (including built, social, natural and virtual environments, the use and abuse of nature and natural resources, and sustainability-related behavior). The journal publishes internationally contributed empirical studies and reviews of research on these topics that advance new insights. As an important forum for the field, the journal publishes some of the most influential papers in the discipline that reflect the scientific development of environmental psychology. Contributions on theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects of all human-environment interactions are welcome, along with innovative or interdisciplinary approaches that have a psychological emphasis. Research areas include: •Psychological and behavioral aspects of people and nature •Cognitive mapping, spatial cognition and wayfinding •Ecological consequences of human actions •Theories of place, place attachment, and place identity •Environmental risks and hazards: perception, behavior, and management •Perception and evaluation of buildings and natural landscapes •Effects of physical and natural settings on human cognition and health •Theories of proenvironmental behavior, norms, attitudes, and personality •Psychology of sustainability and climate change •Psychological aspects of resource management and crises •Social use of space: crowding, privacy, territoriality, personal space •Design of, and experiences related to, the physical aspects of workplaces, schools, residences, public buildings and public space