Not all groups are affected equally by climate-driven disasters, according to a new report from the EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Programs, as reported by CNN. Looking at the impacts of climate change on various vulnerable social groups (people living on low-income, racial minorities, those with no high school diploma, and seniors over age 65), the report found that:
- Minorities were the most likely to live in areas expected to be harmed by climate change, and
- Black people were 40% more likely than other groups to live in areas projected to have the highest climate-change drive increases in mortality rates
This is of particular concern as responses to natural disasters have also been shown to be affected by race. A 2018 study from Rice University and the University of Pittsburgh, when looking at counties that experience the same amount of damage from a disaster, found that the wealth of Black survivors experience an average decrease of $27,000 in the aftermath, while White survivors experienced an average gain of $126,000. FEMA’s advisory council also acknowledged these sorts of iniquities in 2020, and has since taken efforts to improve access and reduce barriers for those seeking assistance after a disaster.
Says Art delaCruz, CEO of Team Rubicon, of FEMA’s efforts, to CNN “I think that in earnest they are trying to correct, but we can still do better in pushing to ensure these recoveries are equitable.”
Source:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/14/us/racial-disparities-disaster-recovery-iyw-rd/index.html
