Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the United States: A Focus on Six Impacts oEPA
Findings on Disproportionate Risks of
Climate Change to Asian Individuals and Pacific Islanders
This report estimates risks to Asian individuals and Pacific
Islanders living in the contiguous United States. Results are
based on current demographic distributions and projected
changes in climate hazards.
This is a one-page summary of
findings from EPA's report Climate
Change and Social Vulnerability in
the United States: A Focus on Six
Impacts related to disproportion-
ate risks of climate change to Asian
individuals and Pacific Islanders.
The report estimates the dispro-
portionate risks to socially vulnera-
ble populations (defined based on
age, income, education, race, and
ethnicity) associated with six
impact categories shown in the
figure.
Risks are calculated for each
socially vulnerable group relative
to its "reference population" (all
individuals outside of each group)
for scenarios with 2°C of global
warming of 50 cm of sea level rise.
The estimated risks are based on
current demographic distributions
in the contiguous United States.
The report finds that Asian individ-
uals are more likely than their
reference population to currently
live in areas with the highest
projected increases in childhood
asthma diagnoses from cli-
mate-driven changes in PM2.5.
Pacific Islanders are found to be
more likely than their reference
population to currently live in
areas with the highest projected
labor hour losses for weather-ex-
posed workers due to extreme
temperatures and the highest
damages from inland flooding.
Both Asian individuals and Pacific
Islanders are found to be more
likely than their reference popula-
tions to currently live in areas with
the highest projected increases in
traffic delays associated with
high-tide flooding.
For more information, please refer
to the report and accompanying
appendices.
Air Quality and Health
Asian individuals are 8% more
likely than non-Asian individuals
to currently live in areas with
the highest projected
increases in childhood asthma
diagnoses with 2°C of
global warming V
Extreme Temperature and Labor
Pacific Islanders are 3% more likely than
non-Pacific Islanders to currently live in
areas with the highest projected reductions
in labor hours due to extreme temperatures
with 2° C of global warming
Coastal Flooding
and Traffic
Asian individuals and Pacific Islanders
are 23% and 28% more likely,
respectively, than their reference
populations to currently live in areas
with the highest estimated increases
in traffic delays due to coasta/0^
flooding with 50 cm of global
sea level rise¦
Extreme Temperature
and Health
Both groups are less likely
than their reference popula-
tions to currently live in areas
with the highest projected
increases in extreme tempera-
ture-related deaths with 2°C of
global warming
Coastal Flooding
and Property
Both groups are less likely than
their reference populations to
currently live in areas where the
highest percentage of land
is projected to be lost to
inundation with 50 cm of
global sea level rise
Inland Flooding
and Property
Pacific Islanders are 10% more likely
than non-Pacific Islanders to currently
live in areas with the highest
projected damages from inland
flooding with 2°C of
global warming
EPA 430-R-21 -003 | September 2021

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