Managing Risk Mitigation in Urban Expansion Areas of Argentina’s Drylands: The Gap between Perception and Environmental Behaviour

Abstract

Accessibility to rigorous scientific information to promote risk mitigation measures bycitizens is crucial, especially in the context of climate change and extreme weather events. Thisstudy focuses on the perception of flood risk and the implementation of mitigation strategies byresidents in drylands urban sprawl areas. Risk perception, defined as the subjective assessment ofthe likelihood and potential consequences of flooding, is a key element of mitigation. While manystudies have explored the link between risk perception and behaviour, this research addresses gapsin understanding how public information affects these perceptions and actions. In areas of rapidurban expansion, where regulation often overlooks environmental features, the lack of adequateinformation poses significant barriers to effective risk mitigation. This research reveals that although residents claim to understand flooding, their descriptions often indicate a lack of understanding of the phenomenon. This ‘passive optimism’ could be mitigated by providing rigorous informationan d specific technical recommendations. This study highlights the disconnect between residents’ awareness of flood risks and the inadequacy of preventive measures, underlining the importance of targeted information and collaboration between the scientific community, government sectors, and local populations.