What is the impact of climate change on low- and moderate-income racialized communities?

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Studies show systemic racism and poverty disproportionately impact low-income and moderate-income (LMI) and Black communities, particularly those in coastal regions like the Carolinas. These communities already face the brunt of climate change effects, such as sea level rise and extreme weather events. 

But, climate change also exacerbates health-related challenges for these frontline communities, including causing food insecurity, safe drinking water scarcity, and loss of infrastructure and livelihood.

As systemic racism and poverty, which are significant social determinants of health, will continue to disproportionately affect low-wealth communities, we must understand their implications related to climate justice.

Racialized and other low-wealth populations face heightened risks from intensifying climate-related events like heat waves and extreme cold. Severe weather can cause increased illness and loss of life because of the destruction it unleashes. 

As temperatures rise globally, heat waves will become more frequent and severe, while extreme winter storms grow more intense. Without adequate cooling shelters, heating resources, or other protections, these marginalized groups lack resilience against heat strokes, hypothermia, dehydration, and respiratory issues. 

Their often-precarious housing situations compound exposure, whether enduring unrelenting heat or bitter cold. Climate change continues to intensify health inequity.

The vulnerability to the effects of climate change also stems from their higher-than-average participation in exposed industries like construction and agriculture.

Environmental racism remains a fundamental issue in LMI communities, especially among racialized Americans who often live in heavily polluted areas with limited access to clean environments and basic resources. Many residents live in so-called sacrifice zones across the United States.

The concentration of hazardous waste facilities, dirty industrial plants, and high-traffic transportation corridors in communities of color exemplifies environmental injustice. Constant exposure to toxic fumes from chemicals emitted from factories along the Gulf Coast and contaminated water in Northern cities (and in Jackson, MS) takes a serious health toll on residents of these communities, particularly on those who are underinsured or uninsured.

This environmental inequity increases their risk of developing serious health conditions and mental health issues. From increased asthma rates in children to elevated cancer risks in adults, the public health ramifications can be staggering. 

Limited green spaces, and few parks, pools and recreation centers, diminish opportunities for outdoor physical activity essential to overall well-being.

Historically, urban planning practices have concentrated pollutants in low-income neighborhoods, while denying these areas health-promoting public infrastructure. Public housing residents, already socially vulnerable, confront climate risks compounded by disinvestment.

Decades of redlining, discriminatory zoning policies, and institutional neglect created sacrifice zones where marginalized groups contend with cumulative environmental stressors. Poorly insulated public housing amplifies risks during extreme weather, while crumbling infrastructure hinders effective sanitation and drainage during floods. 

Lack of green spaces and tree cover also exacerbate urban heat island effects, making low-income areas increasingly unlivable as temperatures rise.

Recognizing the urgency, the Biden administration prioritizes mitigating climate change's inequitable health impacts. Agencies like FEMA and the EPA collaborate to enhance climate adaptation and support vulnerable communities. Concurrently, community organizations spearhead climate justice efforts, bolstering resilience.

The White House's Justice40 Initiative commits to delivering at least 40% of climate investment benefits to disadvantaged communities. FEMA, which focuses on improving emergency preparedness and resilient affordable housing through hazard mitigation help, released funding in 2022 to confront climate change in vulnerable communities. The EPA's Office of Environmental Justice, which recently announced its Community Change Grants Program recipients who will use those funds to address environmental and climate injustice, facilitates equitable policy integration across sectors. 

The EPA's seminal 2021 report highlights avenues for collaboration between climate planners and public health agencies to proactively safeguard vulnerable communities through equitable adaptation measures. These include improving risk communication, healthcare accessibility, and pollution mitigation strategies.

Simultaneously, grassroots groups like the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program empower affected populations through education, advocacy, and capacity-building.

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and green banks present a key opportunity to drive investment towards climate resilience in marginalized communities. 

The Biden administration has expanded funding for CDFIs, recognizing their ability to provide flexible, locally focused financing. CDFIs can finance renewable energy projects, sustainable housing developments, and climate-smart infrastructure tailored to the needs of low- and moderate-income areas.

Green banks, by leveraging public funds to attract private investment in clean energy initiatives, can channel capital towards marginalized communities. They specialize in financial products like credit enhancements, co-investments, and green bonds to make climate projects more bankable. 

Partnering with CDFIs, green banks can support community-led solar installations, residential energy efficiency retrofits, and climate resilience measures benefiting racialized low-income populations.

Research increasingly frames climate change as an existential crisis exacerbating entrenched inequities. Protecting marginalized communities demands a multifaceted strategy encompassing health equity, environmental justice, urban reform, and inclusive policymaking. All are imperative to prevent further devastation in LMI communities, especially racialized ones.

A holistic approach to tackling the intersecting drivers of climate vulnerability—racial inequity, concentrated poverty, healthcare inaccessibility—is essential. Involving affected communities in environmental justice initiatives throughout needs assessment, planning, and implementation stages remains crucial for developing contextually relevant, sustainable solutions.

Dahna M. Chandler is a doctoral researcher at the University of Southern California, investigating the historical role of narratives in shaping modern racialized discrimination within the U.S. finance industry. An award-winning finance journalist with a master’s in corporate communications from Georgetown University, she partners with opportunity finance sector organizations as a social impact communications consultant. Drawing on lived experience that aligns with your organization's core constituents, she helps you amplify your mission through strategic, culturally competent storytelling that transforms narratives and drives social change. Contact her to explore how her expertise can help you elevate your organization’s impact communications.

(c) 2024. Dahna M. Chandler for UpThink Strategic Communications, a division of Thrive Media Collaborative, Inc. All rights reserved. This case story may not be reproduced or reposted in whole or in part without express written permission of the author.

Header image depicts a home after Hurricane Katrina.