Risk perception and communication in the Metropolitan Area of Porto (AMP), Portugal

Abstract

The Metropolitan Area of Porto (AMP) is a region on the northern coast of Portugal characterised by a complex set of physical and human characteristics which promote an extensive and varied risks occurrence, such as floods, forest fires and other technological risks. With the purpose of understanding what factors determine risk perception, a questionnaire entitled “Risk Perception in the Área Metropolitana do Porto (AMP)” was applied to 128 subjects. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to identify the primary factors associated with the risk perception. Differences between different groups under the same impact factor were also compared. The results suggest that the respondents’ level of education and age significantly determine the perception of risk, also showing significant differences between groups in also showing significant differences between the groups in the way they perceive risk communication.The effectiveness of risk communication must thus consider, in addition to the socio-cultural context, the specific characteristics of the population, particularly certain factors such as age, gender and education These findings can help decision makers to improve effective risk communication policies and risk reduction strategies.