Frontiers in Human Dynamics, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 7
Опубликована: Апрель 28, 2025
Urban flooding presents a global challenge, disproportionately affecting socially vulnerable communities. In the U.S., catastrophic floods are compounded by climate change, aging infrastructure, rapid land development, and population growth. Flooding causes more damage than any other severe weather-related event, with an annual average cost of US $4.5 billion 17 fatalities per year between 1980 2024. FEMA’s outdated 100-year floodplain delineations fail to capture evolving flood risk, leading development inside outside floodplains potentially higher risk for Excluding in 500-year would reduce although encroachment urban into exacerbates risks. Despite extensive coastal environmental justice research, few studies have been conducted inland areas like Intermountain West. Our study analyzes National Flood Hazard Layer data from 2017–2021 American Community Survey quantify injustices Salt Lake County, Utah. We develop straight-forward easily implementable approach city county level planning injustice policymaking. objectives include assessing demographic attributes within floodplains, identifying household injustices, overlaying maps selected variables. Results show that 44% County’s is City South Lake, cities Millcreek Jordan emerge as most these ratios 1.92 1.67, respectively, where ratio greater 1.00 indicates concerning injustice. These findings highlight observed inequities but do not indicate or prove systematic, intentional, historical biases resulting past present discriminatory policies practices cities. This contributes deeper understanding areas, shedding light on intersection social vulnerability at microscales. Identifying communities can inform targeted interventions policy measures mitigate enhance resilience adaptation
Язык: Английский