Apego al lugar y percepción del riesgo volcánico en personas mayores de Ñuble, Chile

Chile has a high degree of exposure and susceptibility to disaster risk scenarios, and it is among the top five countries in the world regarding active volcanoes. Meanwhile, sustained population aging is making the older population vulnerable to potential socio-natural disasters. This article, using these concepts, seeks to understand the relationship between place attachment and the perception of volcanic risk among the older population, focusing on older adults residing in the hazard zone of the Nevados de Chillán volcanic complex in the Ñuble Region in southern Chile. Using a phenomenological qualitative case design, 15 semi-structured interviews and a focus group were applied, with the analysis carried out based on grounded theory. The results indicate that the older population has a low perception of volcanic risk, entailing i) the minimization of the surrounding natural hazards, ii) informal knowledge based on previous experiences, and iii) ignorance of the natural risk characteristics and their negative consequences. On the other hand, it is seen that place attachment and social vulnerability act not only as contextual barriers to accepting the volcanic risk but also lead to a lack of engagement, acquisition, and deployment of individual and collective coping mechanisms. In conclusion, the authors outline the importance of including “aging in place” and the active agency of the older population in socio-natural disaster risk planning and local management processes.