Green self-efficacy for blue-green infrastructure management in a post-disaster recovery phase: empirical research in a small rural community

ABSTRACT

Though coastal environments are recognized as important community resources, the post-disaster reconstruction phase, an artificial-oriented strategy for human security and coastal development, may degrade coastal landscapes and avert pro-environmental behaviors. However, the impact of these outcomes has been studied to a limited extent only. This study aimed to explore residents’ pro-environmental behavior, green performance, and motivation for coastal green infrastructure (CGI) through the difference in high-low green self-efficacy (GSE). Survey data was used for a small rural community in Japan, where residents started the Camellia Forest Project as CGI after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (GEJET) under coastal artificial development. To examine the difference in high-low-GSE by participants’ characteristics, environmental behaviors, and awareness, odds ratios (ORs) were calculated. The results showed that residents’ characteristics – men, retirement age, second-generation household type, and mowing experience – were positively associated with high-GSE. People having high-GSE showed more effects on their coastal green management, Eco-DRR (OR: 6.04, 95% CI, 2.02–18.04), and social cohesion (OR: 6.27; 95% CI, 0.97–14.38) than those with low GSE in the post-disaster recovery process. This study suggests that GSE offers a base to nurture residents’ commitment to a coastal green environmental restoration under CGI development.

KEYWORDS:

• Green self-efficacy
• pro-environmental behaviors
• green management
• coastal green infrastructure
• ecosystem-based adaptation

Acknowledgments

The author expresses her sincere gratitude to Koji Hatakeyama, a representative of the General Incorporated Association, ‘Oraho no Totte-Oki’ for promoting the research, and Shinetsu Kikuchi, a Chairman of the Maehama community development association for collecting data. The author also appreciates Naoya Ohira, the Chair of General Incorporated Association, Genki-za, and N. Shiratori, the representative of General Incorporated Association, Environmental Reconstruction Organization, for providing their pictures of Maehama. This study was financially supported by the Organization for Landscape and Urban Green Infrastructure and by the Division for Interdisciplinary Advanced Research and Education, Tohoku University.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

None declared.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Division for Interdisciplinary Advanced Research and Education, Tohoku University [2018-2021]; The Organization for Landscape and Urban Green Infrastructure [2019-2020].