Defending against environmental threats: Unveiling household adaptation strategies and population heterogeneity

• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108858
• Publication Date: 2024-06-28T23:13:50Z
• Authors: Chenyi Du; Wenling Liu
• Keywords: Disadvantaged; Environmental degradation; Environmental Justice

Humanity faces a variety of risks from pollution and environmental degradation. Societal advancement has equipped the public with numerous self-protection measures to mitigate these threats. However, ways in which individuals deploy balance self-defence mechanisms within this complex risk landscape resulting consequences remain largely unexplored. Drawing on detailed survey households' practices, study rigorously analyses heterogeneity driving factors behind household-level strategies. Through exploratory latent class modelling, we identified four distinct defence patterns: inaction, water-sensitive, air-sensitive, multifaceted. These patterns reveal varied capabilities among population. By integrating frameworks economics social psychology, significant disparities were found patterns. Practices aimed at combating air are primarily driven by actual severity perceived coping capabilities, whereas enhance water quality influenced more This disparity arises variations information availability health awareness. The also highlights misalignment between distribution levels pollution. Given that income restricts options, mismatch indicates economically disadvantaged groups disproportionately affected severe inequalities.