La perception de l’environnement en Belgique

Abstract

The scientific community and the voluntary sector have provided numerous warnings against the risk of air pollution, especially in terms of sanitary consequences due to the exposure of the individuals to this said pollution. In reaction to these alarming reports, the scientific community analyses and tends to categorize the impacts of the problem. According to their research, it is determinant to identify the hazardous pollutants in order to have efficient political measures. It is necessary to determine the sources of pollution, to quantify the emissions and the exposition and finally, to quantify the risk of an over exposition. To partially go in the lines of these scientific reports, this thesis analyzes the behavior of individuals faced by air pollution’s negative externalities. It investigates on the differences in the rational and irrational choices according to different social groups in Belgium. The air pollution level has decreased for the last two decades, but air pollution is still a sanitary problem in Belgium. The traffic emits too much nitrogen dioxide in Brussel’s neighborhood. Wallonia is greener in term of green spaces and concentration of pollution, but ozone is over the legal limits in some part of the regions. In Flanders, particulate matters, nitrogen dioxide and ozone break the law limit in some parts when they are locally analyzed. Conclusion about distribution of exposition are mitigated at the national level. Considering these elements, the results of these analysis are the following. Overall, the Belgian population properly assess its environment. Indeed, a higher concentration of pollution (considered as an objective element) is associated to a higher perception of the pollution (considered as a subjective element) in the direct environment. In a minor extent, it is also true for the perception of the traffic’s level. However, some differences in perceptions can be observed between different groups of individuals. When the level of pollution is held, Walloon perceive more pollution and green spaces than others. In the same conditions, the people living in Brussels perceive more traffics. The perceptibility of nuisances is strongly linked to the living (urbanized/ruralized) environment in Belgium. In less extent, some factors such as the age of individuals seems to influence the level of perception. The younger generation is more sensible to the perception of the pollution level, ceteris paribus. Finally, to really understand individual’s behavior in front of its environment, a qualitative study at the national level is necessary to complete our results.