Citation:

Sinha, P., M. Fry, S. Julius, R. Truesdale, J. Cajka, M. Eddy, P. Doraiswamy, R. Albright, J. Riemenschneider, M. Potzler, B. Lim, J. Richkus, AND M. O'Neal. Building Resilience to Extreme Weather Events in Phoenix: Considering Contaminated Sites and Disadvantaged Communities. Climate Risk Management. Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands, 43:100586, (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2024.100586

Impact/Purpose:

Building resilience to extreme climate events is a critical component of planning at the local, state, regional, and national levels. Risk assessments have been developed to estimate community exposures to multiple natural hazards (i.e., floods, wildfires, extreme heat) in combination with existing social vulnerabilities to show where to focus risk reduction strategies (Bixler et al., 2021). However, conducting detailed risk assessments is time and resource intensive. Equipping communities with spatially and temporally resolved information can assist in screening for areas that could be disproportionately impacted. Screening can help prioritize actions and make the best use of resources. An indicator represents the state or trend of certain environmental or societal conditions over a given area and a specified period of time (U.S. EPA, 2021a). Indicators are widely used for assessing, tracking, and communicating impacts from climate-related events (Janetos & Kenney, 2015; Oppenheimer & Yohe, 2020-2021; U.S. EPA, 2021b; USGCRP, 2018). However, indicators that capture indirect effects on communities due to potential contaminant releases from sites/waste facilities are limited with a few exceptions (Greene & Tonjes, 2014; Industrial Economics, 2014; U.S. EPA, 2021b).  This paper strives to address that gap.

Description:

Communities across the world are experiencing a myriad of impacts from intensifying extreme heat, flood, drought, and wildfire events due to climate change. Further impacts can be experienced due to nearby contaminated sites and waste management facilities that are either actively or have a history of managing or storing hazardous substances, wastes, or potential contaminated material. Such sites and waste management facilities may release contaminants into the surrounding environment because of extreme climate events, thereby impacting nearby communities. These areas are often considered disadvantaged because they suffer from a combination of economic, health, social and environmental burdens, which make them more likely to experience disproportionately higher impacts. Because resources are often scarce for these communities, more information will assist with prioritizing and targeting resources toward areas that may be impacted the most. This study applies indicators using a community vulnerability framework for Maricopa County in Arizona (USA), which includes the city of Phoenix, to inform plans for preparedness, response, and recovery from the effects of extreme heat on contaminated sites and nearby populations. By mapping indicators related to extreme heat, contaminated sites, contaminant transport via wind, and characteristics of the potentially exposed population, this study helped decision-makers in Phoenix and Maricopa County build their communities’ capacity to address potential future risks from climate extremes. Phoenix is using the results in their ongoing climate planning activities and aims to apply the indicators in other ways in the future. The methods and indicators employed in this demonstration can be applied elsewhere to help other communities prepare for the effects of extreme climate events.

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