| Περιγραφή: |
Sewage discharge into English coastal waters has intensified over the past decade, generating widespread public concern. While existing research largely concentrates on ecological damage and public health risk, less attention has been given to how coastal residents experience and interpret contamination in everyday life. This study addresses that gap through a qualitative case study of Whitstable, a coastal town where sewage discharge and bathing water quality have become highly visible issues. The aim of this research is to examine how residents living near sewage discharge sites perceive coastal contamination and how these perceptions shape their relationship with local blue spaces. The central research question asks: How do residents interpret sewage pollution, and how does this influence their everyday practices, emotional attachment, and sense of environmental quality? The study employs semi-structured interviews with local residents, supported by participatory mapping, to examine spatial behaviour, perceptions of safety, and place-based meaning. Data are analysed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns across lived experience and local narratives. The findings indicate that repeated sewage discharge alters everyday coastal routines, reshapes trust in environmental governance, and transforms emotional connections to place. Pollution is experienced not only as an environmental issue but as a disruption to identity, wellbeing, and community life. By linking wastewater governance with lived coastal experience, this research reframes sewage pollution as a spatial and social planning issue rather than solely a technical or ecological problem. The study highlights the importance of incorporating local perception into coastal management and planning decision-making. |