Public Perceptions of Urban River Flood Risks and Ecological Quality: Focus Group Insights. R. J. Griffin and J. Giese, Center for Mass Media Research, Marquette University, Milwaukee WI; D. Booth and D. Clark, Dept. of Economics, Marquette University, Milwaukee WI; and V. Novotny, Dept. of Civil and Envir. Engineering, Marquette University, Milwaukee WI
The newly-formed Institute for Urban Environmental Risk Management at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is conducting a multi-year, interdisciplinary study devoted to improving the management of flood risks and overcoming threats to the ecological health of urban rivers. Along with research into ecological and engineering aspects of these problems, the study includes an examination of local residents’ risk perceptions, use of risk communication channels, and willingness to pay for (1) projects to improve the ecological quality of the watershed and (2) projects to counteract rising urban river flood risks caused primarily by increasing upstream urbanization. In preparation for a two-wave, panel-design sample survey designed to measure these and related variables, a professional research organization conducted eight focus groups in the spring of 1999 comprised of residents of two affected watersheds in the Milwaukee area. The focus groups helped researchers discover effective ways to present flood risk information to non-experts and indicated the likely existence of marked differences in the ways upstream, more affluent residents perceive and respond to flood risks and environmental quality considerations as compared to less affluent, downstream residents.
Research supported by EPA/NSF/USDA Star Watershed Program Grant R82-5759.
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