Shingle Replenishment, Whitstable beach, March 2021. Photographs by Rosy Todd.
Perceptions of a Changing Seascape: Re-considering Whitstable residents understanding of climate, weather and flood risk
Whitstable, in South-East Kent, is considered an ‘at risk’ area, that is, an area particularly vulnerable to flooding as a consequence of anthropogenic climate change. Scientists warn that South-East England is particularly at risk from the effects of rising sea levels and, inch by inch, climate change is literally creeping up onto Whitstable’s shores and eroding its coastline. However, this dissertation finds that for Whitstable residents, climate change is still not understood as an issue that impacts their day-to-day lives. This is because residents see climate change as a concern for the future, rather than something that is unfolding in the present. Through an analysis of a survey taken by ten long-term residents, I argue that this is because some residents trust in the technological development of coastal defences and hold certain perceptions of their environment, informed by their previous experiences of flooding. A lack of concern and action in response to climate change then is not because residents deny that it is happening, but because of more complex relationships between people and their environment; between nature and culture.
Whitstable, in South-East Kent, is considered an ‘at risk’ area, that is, an area particularly vulnerable to flooding as a consequence of anthropogenic climate change. Scientists warn that South-East England is particularly at risk from the effects of rising sea levels and, inch by inch, climate change is literally creeping up onto Whitstable’s shores and eroding its coastline. However, this dissertation finds that for Whitstable residents, climate change is still not understood as an issue that impacts their day-to-day lives. This is because residents see climate change as a concern for the future, rather than something that is unfolding in the present. Through an analysis of a survey taken by ten long-term residents, I argue that this is because some residents trust in the technological development of coastal defences and hold certain perceptions of their environment, informed by their previous experiences of flooding. A lack of concern and action in response to climate change then is not because residents deny that it is happening, but because of more complex relationships between people and their environment; between nature and culture.