Natural hazard experiences and adaptations: A study of winter climate-induced road closures in Norway |
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| Authors: | Jens Kr Steen Jacobsen Merethe Dotterud Leiren Jarkko Saarinen |
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| Institution: | 1. Jens Kr. Steen Jacobsen, Institute of Transport Economics, Norwegian Centre for Transport Research (T?I), NO-0349 Oslo, Norwayjsj@toi.no;3. Merethe Dotterud Leiren, Institute of Transport Economics, Norwegian Centre for Transport Research (T?I), NO-0349 Oslo, Norway;4. Jarkko Saarinen, Department of Geography, University of Oulu, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland &5. School of Tourism and Hospitality, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa |
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| Abstract: | The effects of global climate change include more extreme weather events that harm lifeline infrastructure such as road access. The questionnaire-based study takes a novel natural experiment approach to subjective personal experiences and perceptions of lifeline vulnerability in two seaside communities in Norway that have been sporadically isolated due to avalanches, heavy snowfall, and/or snowdrifts. The enquiry aims at filling a research gap on sudden winter climate-induced disconnections and road travel hazards in advanced societies. The results show that weather-induced road closures lead to worries about road travel and practical problems, but also that many people are able to adjust to reduce their vulnerability. The authors concluded that community characteristics such as available services and social and human capital are important for understanding people’s vulnerabilities, worries, and hazard preparedness. |
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| Keywords: | Kerstin Potthoff Catriona Turner |
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