Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the United States: A Focus on Six Impacts SEPA
Findings on Disproportionate Risks of
Climate Change to Hispanic and Latino Individuals
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
Hispanic and Latino individuals.
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:
¦ Air Quality and Health:
•	Extreme Temperature and
Health;
•	Extreme Temperature and
Labor;
•	Coastal Flooding and Traffic;
•	Coastal Flooding and Property;
and
•	Inland Flooding and Property,
Risks are calculated for each social-
ly vulnerable group relative to its
"reference population" (all individ-
uals outside of each group) for
scenarios with 2°C of global warm-
ing 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 Hispanic and
Latino individuals are more likely
than their reference population to
live in areas with:
•	the highest increases in child-
hood asthma diagnoses from
climate-driven changes in PM2.5;
•	the highest rates of labor hour
losses for weather-exposed
workers due to extreme tempera-
tures; and
¦ the highest increases in traffic
delays associated with high-tide
flooding.
For more information, please
refer to the report and
accompanying appendices.
EPA430-R-21-003 j September 2021
2°C of global warming
SO cm of global sea level rise
This report estimates the risks to Hispanic arid Latino
individuals living in the contiguous United States.
Results are based on current demographic distributions
and projected changes in climate hazards.
Coastal Flooding
and Property
14% less likely 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
Air Quality and Health
10% more likely to currently
live in areas with the highest
projected increases in childhood
asthma diagnoses with
Inland Flooding
and Property
14% less likely to currently live in
areas with the highest projected
damages from inland flooding
with 2°C of global warming
Extreme Temperature and Labor
43% more likely to currently live in
areas with the highest projected reductions
in labor hours due to extreme temperatures
with 2°C of global warming
Extreme Temperature
and Health
1% more likely to currently
live in areas with the
highest projected increases
in extreme temperature-
related deaths with
2°C of global warming
50% more likely to currently
live in areas with the highest
estimated increases in traffic
delays due to coastal flooding with

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