Bulgarians Hold State and Municipalities Responsible for Recent Floods, Survey Finds

A recent express survey by “Gallup International Balkan,” conducted for the BNT program “Referendum,” shows that Bulgarians largely place responsibility for recent floods on authorities and developers rather than on citizens.

According to the poll, 43% of respondents blame the state for the floods, citing overbuilding and blocked ravines as primary factors. Municipalities are held responsible by 38%, while investors are singled out by 11%. Only a small fraction, 6%, attribute the disasters to citizens themselves, and around 2% said they did not know.

When asked about the root causes of the floods, 44% pointed to construction encroaching on rivers and ravines. Nearly 30% highlighted poorly maintained riverbeds, while 22% mentioned deforestation as a contributing factor.

The survey also explored perceptions of what drives natural disasters in general. An overwhelming 87% of Bulgarians believe human activity plays a major role, with just 11% attributing disasters primarily to climate change.