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Risk perception has been widely recognized as an essential factor in shaping attitudes and behaviors of individuals and communities proactively, during and after the experience of extreme catastrophic events. Its importance derives out mostly due to its intrinsic relationship with socio-economic parameters and capacity building of communities affected by such events. The aim of this paper was to elaborate on the demographic, socio-economic and built-environment determinants of earthquake risk perception of populations living in an extremely earthquake-prone environment. For this purpose, a population sample of municipalities in the Corinthiakos Gulf in Central West Greece, was examined. The sample (230 men and 276 women) was randomly selected from three coastal municipalities of the Gulf: Aigialeia, Nafpaktia and Corinthos. Multi-adjusted linear regression analysis was performed to reveal the determinants of the participants’ perceptions regarding earthquake risk. Findings revealed that mean earthquake risk perception score was moderate in both men and women and notably lower for the participants living in the municipality of Nafpaktia, as compared to the participants of the other two study areas. Earthquake risk perception varied significantly according to age, sex, income and building construction period (of assets resided or used by the participants). Younger strata, especially young men, and households of lower income status tend to correlate to lower earthquake risk perception. Moreover, individuals living in newly constructed buildings presented lower earthquake risk perception levels. Also, increased individuals’ earthquake safety information provided by state agencies and local civil protection authorities was associated with increased risk perception. Issues like education, household structure, building earthquake insurance, savings and trust in civil protection authorities, were not associated with risk perception. From a policy design point of view, such findings provide noteworthy insights for local communities and civil protection authorities allowing to identify vulnerable population groups and to provide noteworthy insights to design targeted measures and policies in the making of a safe and resilient environment.

Τhe paper analyses an insular community, Astypalaia in the Aegean Sea, which hosts a distinct commons institution that has acted as a governance catalyst. It has so far safeguarded the delicate balance between the development of supplementary subsistence activities (agricultural, pastoral, fisheries, and food processing-supply), community building, fair distribution, and management of landed resources, and overall landscape justice. This article unfolds the critical factors that have fostered or restrained the longevity of this Landed Commons (LCs) and reveals the emerging risks from both exogenous (international and nationwide dynamics) and endogenous (organisational structures and governance capacity) agents. The case of Astypalaia is placed within the broader debate on the role of commons in local communities, leading to significant insights into how this LCs can be revalorised by the host community establishing renewed stewardship within current socio-economic trajectories.

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