Journal Article

Overrepresentation of Historically Underserved and Socially Vulnerable Communities Behind Levees in the United States

Dustin C. Brown, Mohammed Azhar, Farshid Vahedifard

2023

Overview

Infrastructure equity is an immediate concern with levees, constituting the backbone of the U.S. protection against flooding. Flooding patterns are exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change in several regions, posing a significant risk to the economy, safety, and well‐being of the nation. The evolving risk of flooding is shown to disproportionately affect historically underserved and socially vulnerable communities (HUSVCs). Here we compare the sociodemographic and socioeconomic composition of leveed and non‐leveed U.S. communities and show a substantial overrepresentation of HUSVCs in leveed areas at the state, regional, and national levels. Further, we analyze the proportion of communities designated as “disadvantaged” in leveed versus non‐leveed areas, revealing a substantially larger population of disadvantaged communities residing behind levees. Our analyses show that nationally, Hispanic are the most overrepresented population in leveed areas yielding a disparity percentage of 39.9%, followed by Native American (18.7%), Asian (17.7%), and Black (16.1%) communities. Communities characterized by low education, poverty, and disability exhibit a disproportionately higher presentation of 27.8%, 20.4%, and 5.4% in leveed areas across the U.S. In 43 states, disadvantaged communities are overrepresented behind levees, with a national disparity percentage of 40.6%. At the regional level, the highest disparity was observed in the Northeast (57.3%), followed by the West (51.3%), Southeast (38%), Midwest (29.2%), and Southwest (25%). The findings can enable decision‐ and policy‐makers to identify hotspots within HUSVCs that need to be prioritized for enhancing the integrity and climate adaptation of their levee systems. Plain Language Summary Levees constitute the backbone of the nation's protection system against flooding, which is shown to disproportionately impact historically underserved and socially vulnerable communities (HUSVCs). Here we identify disparities in levee‐protected U.S. communities by comparing several sociodemographic and socioeconomic attributes in non‐leveed areas with tracts behind levees listed in the National Levee Database. Further, we analyze the proportion of leveed versus non‐leveed communities designated as “disadvantaged.” We found a substantial overrepresentation of HUSVCs in leveed areas at the state, regional, and national levels. Nationally, the major disparities are found to be Hispanic (39.9%), low education (27.8%), poverty (20.4%), native American (18.7%), Asian (17.7%), and Black (16.1%). Regionally, In the Midwest and Southeast, 60.6% and 40.2%, respectively, more Black populations live behind levees. In the West, the largest disparities are education (40.5%) and Hispanic or Latino (38.6%). In 43 states, disadvantaged communities are overrepresented behind levees, with a national disparity percentage of 40.6%. The highest regional disparity was observed in the Northeast (57.3%), followed by the West (51.3%), Southeast (38%), Midwest (29.2%), and Southwest (25%). The findings can enable decision‐ and policy‐makers to identify hotspots within HUSVCs that need to be prioritized for enhancing the integrity of their levee systems. Key Points Infrastructure equity is an immediate concern with levees We found substantial disparities in race/ethnicity, education, poverty, and disability of leveed‐ versus non‐leveed U.S. communities Historically underserved and socially vulnerable communities are substantially overrepresented in leveed areas compared to non‐leveed areas

• Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU),John Wiley & Sons, Inc,Wiley
• Subject: Access to information / Anthropogenic climate changes / Anthropogenic factors / At risk populations / Climate adaptation / Climate change / Disability / Distribution / Ecology / Environment / Environmental aspects / Environmental risk / Environmental sciences / Failure / Flood risk / Flooding / Floods / Forecasts and trends / GE1-350 / Hispanic Americans / historically underserved and socially vulnerable communities (HUSVCs) / Infrastructure / infrastructure equity / Levees / Levees & battures / Low income groups / Minorities / Minority & ethnic groups / Political power / Poverty / QH540-549.5 / Race / Safety and security measures / Sea level / Sociodemographics / Socioeconomic factors / Stormwater management / United States