Article
Environmental Sciences
James R. Elliott, Zheye Wang
Summary: The government-funded retreat of homeowners from flood-prone housing is a globally ascendant policy of climate adaptation. Yet, little is known about the participants in terms of their risk tolerance, relocation choices, and the racial and ethnic disparities in their responses. This study combines residential history data, flood risk estimates, and local context indicators to examine how retreat is unfolding in the United States. Results show that voluntary retreat is a localized process that reduces household flood risk. However, there is racial segregation in these movements, with homeowners in majority-White communities more likely to stay in high-risk areas and less likely to relocate to nearby non-White areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Felix Creutzig, Frank Goetzke, Anjali Ramakrishnan, Marina Andrijevic, Patricia Perkins
Summary: Climate change mitigation is often evaluated based on technologies and policy instruments, but the role of governance and social capital in complex social systems should not be overlooked. This study explores the importance of quality of governance, social capital, and equality as prerequisites for effective climate policies. By analyzing national-level indicators of social systems with Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Structural Equation Models (SEM), we find that impartiality in governance is crucial for fostering social capital, interpersonal trust, equality, and effective climate policies such as carbon pricing. Socio-economic inequalities can undermine trust and political engagement, posing challenges to achieving the overarching goal of climate change mitigation. However, evidence suggests that fairly implemented climate policies can contribute to a virtuous cycle by improving the quality of governance and strengthening the capacity to implement strong climate policies. Our findings highlight the significance of impartial governance and social capital in driving effective climate policies.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexandra L. Dudley, Isabel Meza, Gustavo Naumann, Michael Hagenlocher
Summary: Global drought risk assessments may not accurately identify countries and regions with high risk levels, which makes it difficult for decision-makers and funding mechanisms to provide assistance. This study compares global and regional drought risk assessments to emphasize the importance of analyzing risk at multiple spatial scales.
CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Development Studies
Hyun Kim, Hyewon Kim, Kyle Maurice Woosnam, Chul-Hee Lim, Gyu Seomun
Summary: This work explores the relationship between heat vulnerability and health outcomes in major cities of Korea from 2010 to 2015, and discusses the potential role of anticipatory adaptation in reducing vulnerability to heat events. The results indicate positive associations between heat vulnerability and health outcomes. Additionally, high levels of anticipatory adaptation and climate readiness are crucial in mitigating the adverse impacts of heat events and enhancing health adaptation.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY & PLANNING
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Nicole Lambrou, Crystal Kolden, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Erica Anjum, Charisma Acey
Summary: The increase of wildfire disasters globally has led to efforts to understand and mitigate human vulnerability. However, current approaches focus mainly on quantifying potential exposure and overlook individual and community vulnerability. This review highlights the need for addressing social vulnerability to wildfires by considering factors related to exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. It also emphasizes the importance of addressing inequalities in reducing wildfire vulnerability.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Juan Fernando Galindo, Giovana Moura Formigari, Luiz Carlos Zeferino, Carla Fabrine Carvalho, Edson Luiz Ursini, Diama Bhadra Vale
Summary: A study in Sao Paulo, Brazil, found that the Index of Social Responsibility (ISR) is related to the stage, age, and morphology in cervical cancer diagnosis. The study indicated that higher ISR levels were associated with a higher proportion of stage I diagnoses and a lower frequency of Squamous tumors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR EQUITY IN HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Christina Zorbas, Jennifer Browne, Alexandra Chung, Anna Peeters, Sue Booth, Christina Pollard, Steven Allender, Anna Isaacs, Corinna Hawkes, Kathryn Backholer
Summary: This study explored the government-led actions on the social determinants of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. The findings showed that temporary social protection measures did not effectively alleviate the financial, health, and social stressors faced by participants, making it difficult to prioritize healthy eating. Participants' housing, income, job, and education priorities led to food being a lower financial priority, resulting in the purchase of cheaper and less healthy options. The dominant public and policy rhetoric on income support policies and healthy eating were perceived as inaccurate and shaming, misrepresenting participants' lived experiences.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ace Vo, Youyou Tao, Yan Li, Abdulaziz Albarrak
Summary: This study conducted an ecological analysis on 29,126 census tracts in 499 cities across all 50 states in the United States and found that social determinants of health (SDOH) factors have a significant impact on population health outcomes, with significant variations among different city groups. The findings of this study can provide decision support for local policy makers in improving population health, enhancing the quality of care, and reducing health inequity.
JMIR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SURVEILLANCE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ace Vo, Youyou Tao, Yan Li, Abdulaziz Albarrak
Summary: This study examines the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) factors on population health outcomes at the census tract and city levels. The results show that SDOH factors have a significant impact on health outcomes, with variations among different city groups. Four SDOH risk factors, including asthma, kidney disease, smoking, and food stamps, have significant effects on health outcomes in all groups. The analysis suggests that population density and political affiliation are important factors in understanding how SDOH affects health outcomes.
JMIR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SURVEILLANCE
(2023)
Article
Development Studies
Antonio Scognamillo, Nicholas J. Sitko
Summary: The study found that participation in Malawi's largest public works programme, the Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF), increases the probability of farm households adopting climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices such as building soil water conservation structures and applying organic fertilizers. This participation also contributes to sustained adoption of these practices over multiple agricultural seasons. Furthermore, the joint treatment effect of MASAF participation with sustained adoption of soil water conservation structures substantially increases households' productivity and welfare, likely driven by the transfer of skills learned during MASAF public works to farmers' own fields.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thomas Marlow, James R. Elliott, Scott Frickel
Summary: Climate change increases the likelihood of frequent and destructive flooding in urban communities with a history of industrial pollution and residential segregation. This paper investigates the convergence of past, present, and future forces that may result in a new type of climate injustice. Through the analysis of flood-risk projections and historical data, over 6000 relic industrial sites with elevated flood risk are identified, presenting a threat of transporting industrial contaminants off-site. These sites are spatially clustered, creating identifiable zones of cumulative impact where socially vulnerable groups are disproportionately located.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Stacy-ann Robinson, J. Timmons Roberts, Romain Weikmans, Danielle Falzon
Summary: The recent establishment of a loss and damage fund under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was seen as a significant breakthrough for Global South negotiators. However, previous debates on the identification of priority beneficiaries of international adaptation finance suggest that the use of quantitative vulnerability indicators may lead to division and delay.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jerel M. Ezell, Delilah Griswold, Elizabeth C. Chase, Evan Carver
Summary: COVID-19 is unique in its impact on morbidity and mortality, but the disparities in its effects are rooted in a history of oppressive social policies and marginalizing geopolitics. Public health disasters like the Flint crisis and the Chicago heatwave highlight spatial inequalities and shattered civic trust among historically marginalized populations, emphasizing the inherited and amplified spatial inequality patterns by COVID-19. Efforts to prevent and reduce spatial inequalities from COVID-19 are necessary, along with steps to restore trust between disenfranchised communities and public officials in responding to the pandemic.
LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Urban Studies
Duran Fiack, Jeremy Cumberbatch, Michael Sutherland, Nadine Zerphey
Summary: Climate adaptation plans play a crucial role in urban planning, with social equity concerns being more prominent in local climate adaptation discussions compared to issues related to environmental quality and economic development.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Arianna Gentilini, Iva Parvanova
Summary: This study aimed to assess the relationship between funding from UK-based patient organisations and companies' commercial interests. The results show that almost all funds from pharmaceutical companies were directed to patient organisations that are aligned with companies' approved drug portfolios and research and development pipelines. Patient organisations focusing on rare diseases received more funding relative to the number of patients affected by these conditions and relied more heavily on payments from fewer companies compared to organisations targeting non-rare diseases.