Disaster disparities affect Western communities
Recent storms in Southern California indicate a future with more intense and infrequent precipitation, highlighting the risk of climate catastrophes.
Natalia Mesa reports for High Country News.
In short:
- Climate change exacerbates the intensity of weather events, with Southern California at risk of increased floods.
- FEMA data reveals communities of color and low-income neighborhoods face higher natural hazard risks.
- Effective risk communication and community resilience are crucial for vulnerable populations.
Key quote:
“There’s these systems of oppression that have existed and continue to evolve over time, things like racism, sexism, colonialism that have led certain populations to be at a higher risk to hazards and disasters.”
— Nnenia Campbell, research associate with the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder
Why this matters:
Marginalized communities, including those with lower income levels, racial and ethnic minorities, and Indigenous groups often bear the brunt of climate-related hazards more severely than more affluent, mainstream populations.
Over the past century, exploitative practices not only unjustly concentrated climate disasters in communities of color, but are now barring those same communities from clean energy resources essential for weathering the storm.
