Sept. 5 (UPI) — In a study published on Tuesday, it was found that minority groups, such as Hispanics and Native Americans, are more susceptible to living behind subpar levees, which are earthen embankments designed to protect against flooding.
The United States encompasses thousands of miles of levees, some of which were constructed as far back as the 1700s to safeguard crops. However, these levees were not initially intended to serve as critical infrastructural elements protecting the residences of millions of Americans.
The study, conducted by researchers from Tufts University and Mississippi State University, observed “a substantially larger population of disadvantaged communities” residing behind deteriorating levees. This research can be found in the open-access journal Earth’s Future.
The published journal article states, “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.”
Minority groups tend to inhabit low-lying areas with inadequate drainage systems, thus making their homes more susceptible to flooding.
The researchers utilized percent disparity rates to draw their conclusions regarding different demographic groups. Percent disparity measures the difference between the values of two groups. In this study, the disparity indicates the percentage of each vulnerable group living within the leveed area relative to the non-leveed area within the same geographic region.
For instance, to determine the disparity of the Black population in a specific state, the researchers would subtract the number of Black individuals residing in a non-leveed area from the number of Black individuals residing in a leveed area in the same location. They would then divide that number by the number of Black individuals in the non-leveed area, multiplied by 100, to generate the percentage.
These figures enable the comparison of different groups to assess which groups are more likely to have homes situated within flood-prone zones behind subpar levees.
According to the study, Hispanic people exhibit the highest disparity rate among minority groups at the national level, with a rate of 40%. However, Black populations show higher disparities in the Midwest and Southeast regions.
The researchers noted, “The Northeast and West regions showcased the most unequal representation in leveed communities, with a respective overrepresentation of disadvantaged groups behind levees amounting to 57% and 51%.” This information was provided in a news release.
Furthermore, the researchers conducted correlation statistics and discovered that leveed areas with a significant proportion of self-identified Hispanics also tend to have higher poverty levels.
Lead author Farshid Vahedifard acknowledged the complexity of the issue, stating, “This is not a simple problem. No matter how much money you have, you can’t just say, ‘Okay, now let’s rebuild this.’ The network is too extensive. But there are other ways we can reduce risk to these communities.”
Vahedifard recognized the $1.2 billion in funding for infrastructure aimed at assisting minority communities, particularly those with failing levees, as part of the 2022 Jobs Act promoted by President Joe Biden’s administration.
“No matter how much funding we receive, there will always be a greater need,” Vahedifard emphasized. “That’s why it’s crucial for us to identify our priority areas—the locations facing the greatest risks.”
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