HGBEnviroScreen: Enabling Community Action through Data Integration in the Houston–Galveston–Brazoria Region

Sharmila Bhandari, P. Grace Tee Lewis, Elena Craft, Skylar W. Marvel, David M. Reif and Weihsueh A. Chiu
Additional contact information
Sharmila Bhandari: Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA
P. Grace Tee Lewis: Environmental Defense Fund, 301 Congress Ave #1300, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Elena Craft: Environmental Defense Fund, 301 Congress Ave #1300, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Skylar W. Marvel: Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
David M. Reif: Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Weihsueh A. Chiu: Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: The Houston–Galveston–Brazoria (HGB) region faces numerous environmental and public health challenges from both natural disasters and industrial activity, but the historically disadvantaged communities most often impacted by such risks have limited ability to access and utilize big data for advocacy efforts. We developed HGBEnviroScreen to identify and prioritize regions of heightened vulnerability, in part to assist communities in understanding risk factors and developing environmental justice action plans. While similar in objectives to existing environmental justice tools, HGBEnviroScreen is unique in its ability to integrate and visualize national and local data to address regional concerns. For the 1090 census tracts in the HGB region, we accrued data into five domains: (i) social vulnerability, (ii) baseline health, (iii) environmental exposures and risks, (iv) environmental sources, and (v) flooding. We then integrated and visualized these data using the Toxicological Prioritization Index (ToxPi). We found that the highest vulnerability census tracts have multifactorial risk factors, with common drivers being flooding, social vulnerability, and proximity to environmental sources. Thus, HGBEnviroScreen is not only helping identify communities of greatest overall vulnerability but is also providing insights into which domains would most benefit from improved planning, policy, and action in order to reduce future vulnerability.

Keywords: environmental justice; geographic information systems; vulnerable populations; community; public health; data; screening; enviroscreen (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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