IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i5p4525-d1086472.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Environmental Identity, Connectedness with Nature, and Well-Being as Predictors of Pro-Environmental Behavior, and Their Comparison between Inhabitants of Rural and Urban Areas

Author

Listed:
  • Willian Sierra-Barón

    (Sintropia Research Group, Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva 110311, Colombia)

  • Pablo Olivos-Jara

    (School of Labour Relations and Human Resources, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Plaza de la Universidad 1, 02071 Albacete, Spain)

  • Andrés Gómez-Acosta

    (Faculty of Health, Department of Psychology, Universidad de Pamplona, Pamplona 543050, Colombia)

  • Oscar Navarro

    (Laboratoire CHROME, Université de Nîmes, 30021 Nîmes, France)

Abstract

The study of factors that predict pro-environmental behavior is interesting, given the need to develop sustainable actions in urban and rural contexts. The available scientific evidence shows knowledge gaps and opportunities about the role that environmental identity, connectedness with nature, and well-being play in pro-environmental behavior. To provide evidence in this regard, this research aimed to describe and identify possible significant differences between these variables to establish whether they predict pro-environmental behavior, considering the rural-urban provenance. The methodology was cross-sectional, with descriptive and correlational analysis. The sample was 1705 people (M age = 31.36 years, 57.4% female) belonging to two departments in southern Colombia (66.7% from the rural sector), and questionnaires were applied to collect the information. The results show that people of rural origin showed higher levels of environmental identity with significant differences ( p -value > 0.01) compared to the urban sample. The indicators of psychological health, connectedness with nature, and identity better explain the levels of pro-environmental behavior of the urban population (R = 0.81, p -value < 0.01) compared to the rural population (R = 0.64, p -value < 0.01). This study concludes that the variables predict pro-environmental behavior, providing better explanatory evidence in urban than rural inhabitants. The limitations and new study prospects in the area are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Willian Sierra-Barón & Pablo Olivos-Jara & Andrés Gómez-Acosta & Oscar Navarro, 2023. "Environmental Identity, Connectedness with Nature, and Well-Being as Predictors of Pro-Environmental Behavior, and Their Comparison between Inhabitants of Rural and Urban Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-14, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:5:p:4525-:d:1086472
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/5/4525/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/5/4525/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tara J. Crandon & Cybele Dey & James G. Scott & Hannah J. Thomas & Suhailah Ali & Fiona J. Charlson, 2022. "The clinical implications of climate change for mental health," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 6(11), pages 1474-1481, November.
    2. Nachalida Yukalang & Beverley Clarke & Kirstin Ross, 2017. "Barriers to Effective Municipal Solid Waste Management in a Rapidly Urbanizing Area in Thailand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-23, September.
    3. Carol D. Ryff, 2017. "Eudaimonic well-being, inequality, and health: Recent findings and future directions," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 64(2), pages 159-178, June.
    4. Kimberley Thomas & R. Dean Hardy & Heather Lazrus & Michael Mendez & Ben Orlove & Isabel Rivera‐Collazo & J. Timmons Roberts & Marcy Rockman & Benjamin P. Warner & Robert Winthrop, 2019. "Explaining differential vulnerability to climate change: A social science review," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(2), March.
    5. Castells-Quintana, David & Lopez-Uribe, Maria del Pilar & McDermott, Thomas K.J., 2018. "Adaptation to climate change: A review through a development economics lens," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 183-196.
    6. Winsemius, Hessel C. & Jongman, Brenden & Veldkamp, Ted I.E. & Hallegatte, Stephane & Bangalore, Mook & Ward, Philip J., 2018. "Disaster risk, climate change, and poverty: assessing the global exposure of poor people to floods and droughts," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(3), pages 328-348, June.
    7. Willian Sierra-Barón & Oscar Navarro & Diana Katherine Amézquita Naranjo & Eylyn Daniela Teres Sierra & Carol Marcela Narváez González, 2021. "Beliefs about Climate Change and Their Relationship with Environmental Beliefs and Sustainable Behavior: A View from Rural Communities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-13, May.
    8. Fiona Charlson & Suhailah Ali & Tarik Benmarhnia & Madeleine Pearl & Alessandro Massazza & Jura Augustinavicius & James G. Scott, 2021. "Climate Change and Mental Health: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-38, April.
    9. Alex Sherbinin, 2014. "Climate change hotspots mapping: what have we learned?," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 123(1), pages 23-37, March.
    10. Ashlee Cunsolo & Neville R. Ellis, 2018. "Ecological grief as a mental health response to climate change-related loss," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(4), pages 275-281, April.
    11. Castells-Quintana, David & del Pilar Lopez-Uribe, Maria & McDermott, Thomas K.J., 2018. "A review of adaptation to climate change through a development economics lens," Working Papers 309605, National University of Ireland, Galway, Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Colette Konietzny & Jirka Konietzny & Albert Caruana, 2024. "Drivers of Pro-Ecological Behaviour Norms among Environmentalists, Hunters and the General Public," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-14, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Isaac Doku, 2022. "Are Developing Countries Using Climate Funds for Poverty Alleviation? Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(6), pages 3026-3049, December.
    2. Castells-Quintana, David & Lopez-Uribe, Maria del Pilar & McDermott, Thomas K.J., 2022. "Population displacement and urban conflict: Global evidence from more than 3300 flood events," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    3. Bhaskar Jyoti Neog, 2022. "Temperature shocks and rural labour markets: evidence from India," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 171(1), pages 1-20, March.
    4. Wang, Weijun & Zhao, Xueyan & Cao, Jianjun & Li, Hua & Zhang, Qin, 2020. "Barriers and requirements to climate change adaptation of mountainous rural communities in developing countries: The case of the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    5. Miguel Angel Orduño Torres & Zein Kallas & Selene Ivette Ornelas Herrera & Bouali Guesmi, 2019. "Is Technical Efficiency Affected by Farmers’ Preference for Mitigation and Adaptation Actions against Climate Change? A Case Study in Northwest Mexico," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-15, June.
    6. Hélène Benveniste & Jesús Crespo Cuaresma & Matthew Gidden & Raya Muttarak, 2021. "Tracing international migration in projections of income and inequality across the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 166(3), pages 1-22, June.
    7. Muhammad Faisal & Azhar Abbas & Yi Cai & Abdelrahman Ali & Muhammad Amir Shahzad & Shoaib Akhtar & Muhammad Haseeb Raza & Muhammad Arslan Ajmal & Chunping Xia & Syed Abdul Sattar & Zahira Batool, 2021. "Perceptions, Vulnerability and Adaptation Strategies for Mitigating Climate Change Effects among Small Livestock Herders in Punjab, Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-21, October.
    8. Suchita Srinivasan, 2023. "Social Policies and Adaptation to Extreme Weather: Evidence from South Africa," CER-ETH Economics working paper series 23/381, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich.
    9. Cevik, Serhan & Jalles, João Tovar, 2022. "This changes everything: Climate shocks and sovereign bonds⁎," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    10. Manners, Rhys & Vandamme, Elke & Adewopo, Julius & Thornton, Philip & Friedmann, Michael & Carpentier, Sebastien & Ezui, Kodjovi Senam & Thiele, Graham, 2021. "Suitability of root, tuber, and banana crops in Central Africa can be favoured under future climates," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    11. Orduño Torres, Miguel Angel & Kallas, Zein & Ornelas Herrera, Selene Ivette, 2020. "Farmers’ environmental perceptions and preferences regarding climate change adaptation and mitigation actions; towards a sustainable agricultural system in México," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    12. Luis Enrique Escalante Ochoa & Hélène Maisonnave, 2020. "Assessing the impacts of climate change on women's poverty and domestic burdens: A Bolivian case study," Working Papers hal-02970249, HAL.
    13. Michele Ronco & José María Tárraga & Jordi Muñoz & María Piles & Eva Sevillano Marco & Qiang Wang & Maria Teresa Miranda Espinosa & Sylvain Ponserre & Gustau Camps-Valls, 2023. "Exploring interactions between socioeconomic context and natural hazards on human population displacement," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    14. Aurelien K. Yeyouomo & Simplice A. Asongu, 2024. "Sustainable urbanization and vulnerability to climate change in Africa: Accounting for digitalization and institutional quality," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(1), pages 1188-1216, February.
    15. Pauline Castaing, 2020. "Joint liability and adaptation to climate change: evidence from Burkinabe cooperatives," Post-Print hal-02942129, HAL.
    16. Orduño, Miguel Angel & Kallas, Zein & Ornelas, Selene Ivette, 2021. "Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Actions Based on Farmers' Environmental Preferences and Perceptions. Sustainable Agriculture, Mexico," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 314967, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    17. Isobel Sharpe & Colleen M. Davison, 2022. "A Scoping Review of Climate Change, Climate-Related Disasters, and Mental Disorders among Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-19, March.
    18. Taraz, Vis, 2018. "Can farmers adapt to higher temperatures? Evidence from India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 205-219.
    19. Albert Sanghoon Park, 2023. "Building resilience knowledge for sustainable development: Insights from development studies," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2023-33, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    20. Carpena, Fenella, 2019. "How do droughts impact household food consumption and nutritional intake? A study of rural India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 349-369.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:5:p:4525-:d:1086472. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.