IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v309y2025ics0378377425000551.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Threat appraisal and individual adaptation as drivers for collaborative drought management in the Netherlands

Author

Listed:
  • De Graaff, Lars
  • Wens, Marthe L.K.
  • Hoogesteger, Jaime
  • Mazzoleni, Maurizio
  • Van Loon, Anne F.

Abstract

Drought risk is increasing worldwide. This is putting greater strain on agricultural production and the availability of freshwater resources. The agricultural sector needs to adapt to these increasing drought risks and must transition towards more sustainable and climate-robust production systems. This study aims to explore drivers, barriers, and opportunities for collaborative drought adaptation among farmers. An adapted version of the Protection Motivation Theory framework was developed and applied in a case study in the eastern Netherlands. To test this framework, we collected data using a mixed-methods approach; a combination of a survey, group discussions, and context interviews. We found that farmers with a high threat appraisal and experiences with drought adaptation measures were more likely to implement additional adaptation measures. Additionally, experiences with individual adaptation also increased farmers willingness to engage in collaborative drought management. Adaptation at landscape level was associated with a lower perceived cost and a higher perceived effectiveness, compared to individual adaptation. However, the lack of responsibility among the involved government agencies to initiate drought adaptation at the landscape level was a potential barrier for farmers to collaborate. Based on these results, we argue that lowering the financial risk for farmers through measures such as subsidies or compensation is essential. Additionally, increasing drought awareness among all involved stakeholders can create opportunities to move from intentions to actual collaborative adaptation behaviour.

Suggested Citation

  • De Graaff, Lars & Wens, Marthe L.K. & Hoogesteger, Jaime & Mazzoleni, Maurizio & Van Loon, Anne F., 2025. "Threat appraisal and individual adaptation as drivers for collaborative drought management in the Netherlands," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 309(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:309:y:2025:i:c:s0378377425000551
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109341
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377425000551
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109341?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cesario Cambaza & Jaime Hoogesteger & Gert Jan Veldwisch, 2020. "Irrigation management transfer in sub-Saharan Africa: an analysis of policy implementation across scales," Water International, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(1), pages 3-19, January.
    2. Wang, Yahua & Huan, Meili, 2023. "The effects of socialized agricultural services on rural collective action in the irrigation commons: Evidence from China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    3. Kieran M. Findlater & Terre Satterfield & Milind Kandlikar, 2019. "Farmers’ Risk‐Based Decision Making Under Pervasive Uncertainty: Cognitive Thresholds and Hazy Hedging," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 39(8), pages 1755-1770, August.
    4. Daniel Kahneman & Amos Tversky, 2013. "Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Leonard C MacLean & William T Ziemba (ed.), HANDBOOK OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING Part I, chapter 6, pages 99-127, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    5. Wenjia Ruan & Sanghoon Kang & HakJun Song, 2020. "Applying protection motivation theory to understand international tourists’ behavioural intentions under the threat of air pollution: A case of Beijing, China," Current Issues in Tourism, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(16), pages 2027-2041, August.
    6. Hoogesteger, Jaime & Tiaguaro-Rea, Yisenia & Rap, Edwin & Hidalgo, Juan Pablo, 2017. "Scalar Politics in Sectoral Reforms: Negotiating the Implementation Of water Policies in Ecuador (1990–2008)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 300-309.
    7. Hoogesteger, Jaime & Bolding, Alex & Sanchis-Ibor, Carles & Veldwisch, Gert Jan & Venot, Jean-Philippe & Vos, Jeroen & Boelens, Rutgerd, 2023. "Communality in farmer managed irrigation systems: Insights from Spain, Ecuador, Cambodia and Mozambique," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    8. Alam, Mohammad Faiz & McClain, M. & Sikka, Alok & Pande, S., 2022. "Understanding human-water feedbacks of interventions in agricultural systems with agent based models: a review," Papers published in Journals (Open Access), International Water Management Institute, pages 1-17(10):10.
    9. Ritzema, H.P. & Nijland, H.J. & Croon, F.W., 2006. "Subsurface drainage practices: From manual installation to large-scale implementation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 86(1-2), pages 60-71, November.
    10. Gisela Wachinger & Ortwin Renn & Chloe Begg & Christian Kuhlicke, 2013. "The Risk Perception Paradox—Implications for Governance and Communication of Natural Hazards," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 33(6), pages 1049-1065, June.
    11. Alexa Spence & Wouter Poortinga & Nick Pidgeon, 2012. "The Psychological Distance of Climate Change," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(6), pages 957-972, June.
    12. Gustavo Naumann & Carmelo Cammalleri & Lorenzo Mentaschi & Luc Feyen, 2021. "Increased economic drought impacts in Europe with anthropogenic warming," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 11(6), pages 485-491, June.
    13. Molle, François & Tanouti, Oumaima, 2017. "Squaring the circle: Agricultural intensification vs. water conservation in Morocco," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 170-179.
    14. Anne M. van Valkengoed & Linda Steg, 2019. "Meta-analyses of factors motivating climate change adaptation behaviour," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 9(2), pages 158-163, February.
    15. Zobeidi, Tahereh & Yaghoubi, Jafar & Yazdanpanah, Masoud, 2022. "Farmers’ incremental adaptation to water scarcity: An application of the model of private proactive adaptation to climate change (MPPACC)," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Goerg, Sebastian & Pondorfer, Andreas & Stöhr, Valentina, 2025. "Public support for more ambitious climate policies: Empirical evidence from Germany," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    2. Adloff, Susann, 2021. "Adapting to Climate Change: Threat Experience, Cognition and Protection Motivation," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242400, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    3. Ashi Perveen, 2025. "Bridging the Climate Finance Gap: Behavioral and Market Barriers to Efficient Climate Risk Pricing in Emerging Economies," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(6), pages 6392-6426, June.
    4. D. Liliana González-Hernández & Raúl A. Aguirre-Gamboa & Erik W. Meijles, 2023. "The role of climate change perceptions and sociodemographics on reported mitigation efforts and performance among households in northeastern Mexico," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 1853-1875, February.
    5. P. Marijn Poortvliet & Anne Marike Lokhorst, 2016. "The Key Role of Experiential Uncertainty when Dealing with Risks: Its Relationships with Demand for Regulation and Institutional Trust," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 36(8), pages 1615-1629, August.
    6. Gerrath, Maximilian H.E.E. & Olya, Hossein & Shah, Zahra & Li, Huaiyu, 2024. "Virtual influencers and pro-environmental causes: The roles of message warmth and trust in experts," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    7. Rodríguez-Cruz, Luis Alexis & Niles, Meredith, 2020. "Puerto Rican Farmers' Psychological Awareness of Climate Change, and Adaptation Perceptions after Hurricane Maria," SocArXiv e27k4, Center for Open Science.
    8. Hahnel, Ulf J.J. & Fell, Michael J., 2022. "Pricing decisions in peer-to-peer and prosumer-centred electricity markets: Experimental analysis in Germany and the United Kingdom," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    9. Noah C. Dormady & Robert T. Greenbaum & Kim A. Young, 2021. "An experimental investigation of resilience decision making in repeated disasters," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 41(4), pages 556-576, December.
    10. repec:osf:socarx:e27k4_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Hayam Elshirbiny & Wokje Abrahamse, 2020. "Public risk perception of climate change in Egypt: a mixed methods study of predictors and implications," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 10(3), pages 242-254, September.
    12. Riccardo Manghi & Daniela Di Cagno, 2025. "Catastrophic Risk Perception and the Shared Burden Effect: An Experimental Study Using Prospect Theory," CEIS Research Paper 605, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 23 Jun 2025.
    13. Jin, Shaoze & Zhang, Lijuan & Min, Shi, 2021. "Regional Climate Extremes and Farmer’s Perception: Impact on Acceptance of Environmentally-Friendly Rubber Plantations in Southwest China," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 314949, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    14. Xueqi Wang & Jin Chen, 2022. "Fear emotion reduces reported mitigation behavior in adolescents subject to climate change education," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 174(1), pages 1-16, September.
    15. Li, Xun & Gong, Jian & Gao, Baojun & Yuan, Peiwen, 2021. "Impacts of COVID-19 on tourists' destination preferences: Evidence from China," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    16. Dana Rose Garfin & Michelle V. Zernick & Gabrielle Wong-Parodi, 2024. "Emotions, worry, efficacy, and climate change–related sustainability behaviors among a representative sample of Texas and Florida residents," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(3), pages 1-28, March.
    17. Molinaroli, Emanuela & Guerzoni, Stefano & Suman, Daniel, 2018. "Adaptations to Sea Level Rise: A Tale of Two Cities – Venice and Miami," MarXiv 73a25, Center for Open Science.
    18. Tamara Gajić & Larisa A. Minasyan & Marko D. Petrović & Victor A. Bakhtin & Anna V. Kaneeva & Narine L. Wiegel, 2023. "Travelers’ (in)Resilience to Environmental Risks Emphasized in the Media and Their Redirecting to Medical Destinations: Enhancing Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-23, October.
    19. Daran Gray‐Scholz & Timothy J. Haney & Pamela MacQuarrie, 2019. "Out of Sight, Out of Mind? Geographic and Social Predictors of Flood Risk Awareness," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 39(11), pages 2543-2558, November.
    20. Feyisa, Ashenafi Duguma & Maertens, Miet & de Mey, Yann, 2023. "Relating risk preferences and risk perceptions over different agricultural risk domains: Insights from Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    21. Jamleck Osiemo & Ruerd Ruben & Evan Girvetz, 2021. "Farmer Perceptions of Agricultural Risks; Which Risk Attributes Matter Most for Men and Women," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-26, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:eee:agiwat:v:309:y:2025:i:c:s0378377425000551. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agwat .

    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.