Social and Geographic Contexts of Water Concerns in Utah

Public concerns about water issues are key considerations in responding to changing hydrologic conditions. Literature is mixed on the social profiles associated with resource-related risks. Using data from a household survey, we compare concerns about water shortage, climate change impacts on water...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Society & natural resources 2017-08, Vol.30 (8), p.885-902
Main Authors: Flint, Courtney G., Dai, Xin, Jackson-Smith, Douglas, Endter-Wada, Joanna, Yeo, Sara K., Hale, Rebecca, Dolan, Mallory K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citizen participation
Climate change
Concerns
Environmental concern
Flooding
Floods
generalized linear mixed model
Geography
Hydrology
Identity
Low income groups
Planning
Policy and planning
Public concerns
Public involvement
Quality assessment
Religious identity
Respondents
Risk management
risk perception
Valleys
Water policy
Water quality
Water quality assessments
water resources
Water shortages
Water supply
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Summary:Public concerns about water issues are key considerations in responding to changing hydrologic conditions. Literature is mixed on the social profiles associated with resource-related risks. Using data from a household survey, we compare concerns about water shortage, climate change impacts on water supply, poor water quality, and flooding. We assess the combined influence of social and locational factors on each concern and variations across three valleys in northern Utah. Generalized linear mixed modeling is used, given the ordinal nature of most variables. Water shortage was the greatest concern, and female, older, nonwhite, and recreationally active respondents were generally more concerned about water issues than their counterparts. Education, income, and religious identity presented more complicated relationships with water concerns, with significant interaction effects with valley geography. This study has implications for improving public involvement in risk management and engendering support for future water policy and planning strategies to address these risks.
ISSN:0894-1920
1521-0723
DOI:10.1080/08941920.2016.1264653