Researchers have developed a comprehensive map to identify counties in the United States (US) at most risk from climate change-related problems, including flooding, pollution, and health issues.
They devised the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) by ranking 70,000 neighborhoods based on factors like housing, poverty, and climate impacts, such as extreme temperatures and storms. This map aims to highlight areas particularly vulnerable to climate change consequences.
10 Most Vulnerable US Counties for Climate Change Disasters
Environmental Defense Fund and Texas A&M University have developed a mapping tool with 184 factors to help people grasp their climate-related risks and advocate for resources. For instance, Beaumont, Texas, faces a high rate of heat-related deaths, but the tool reveals a shortage of publicly funded services.
The majority of the top 10 most vulnerable counties are located in Louisiana, while the rest are in Texas, Kentucky, and South Carolina. Additionally, the map indicates significant risk from worsening storms and increased rainfall in much of the Northeast and nearly all of the Western US.
The researchers identified the 10 most vulnerable counties as follows:
- John the Baptist, Louisiana
- Iberville, Louisiana
- Knox, Kentucky
- Landry, Louisiana
- Dillon, South Carolina
- Tangipahoa, Louisiana
- Acadia, Louisiana
- Floyd, Kentucky
- Jefferson, Texas
- Whitley, Kentucky
St. John the Baptist Parish, situated approximately 130 miles upriver from the Gulf of Mexico along the Mississippi River, falls within a flood-prone zone.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designates more than 87% of the parish as a specific flood hazard area. Community activist Jo Banner from St. John the Baptist expressed concerns about the lack of preparedness for emergencies, both at the federal and local levels.
Interactive Climate Map Shows Indirect Impacts of Climate Change
The tool was crafted by consolidating 184 publicly available datasets to evaluate more than 70,000 US census tracts. It categorized the direct and indirect impacts of climate change into five risk categories: health, social and economic infrastructure, environment, and extreme events.
The CVI categorizes the impacts of climate change into five risk categories: Health, social and economic, infrastructure, environment, and extreme events. These metrics are further divided into Community baseline and Climate impacts.
The analysis not only considers the impact of climate change but also takes into account "long-standing inequities shaping resilience to climate impacts," including health, housing, poverty, pollution, land use, infrastructure, and transportation.
Furthermore, it allows users to swiftly transition from viewing the overall index to location-specific scores based on individual data indicators, aiding in identifying potential correlations, such as the interplay between infrastructure and flood risk.
It empowers users to search by location and access information on their overall climate vulnerability and the contributing factors, ranging from housing quality and supermarket accessibility to proximity to hazardous waste sites and air pollution-related deaths.
The CVI also sheds light on the driving forces behind vulnerability, including inadequate chronic disease prevention, heightened exposure to harmful pollutants, and limited access to nutritious food.
Dr. Grace Tee Lewis, a senior health scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, emphasized the significance of targeted investments to address climate vulnerabilities and enhance resilience. The CVI equips communities, policymakers, and organizations with the tools needed to proactively address vulnerabilities and aligns with the Biden Administration's commitment to climate justice and equity.
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