New research explores how experiencing natural disasters influences voter attitudes toward climate policies.
Our findings suggest that exposure to floods leads to a measurable increase in voting for environmental protection measures—upwards of 20%—in Swiss referendums.
To reach this conclusion, we analyzed micro-level geospatial data linking flood events directly to voter behavior. This approach provides clearer insights than relying solely on attitudinal surveys because it captures actual behavioral changes at the ballot box.
This discovery adds an unexpected dimension to climate politics: rather than simply being aware of environmental threats, people may become more motivated to act after experiencing their consequences firsthand.
| Do Natural Disasters Help the Environment? How Voters Respond and What That Means was authored by Lucas Leemann and Leonardo Baccini. It was published by Cambridge in PSR&M in 2021. |
