LGBT Risk From Climate Change
A new UCLA School of Law Williams Institute research paper titled “Climate Change Risk for LGBT People in the United States” shows that this part of the population is at great risk due to climate change. The research was done based on US Census data and information from FEMA.
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Climate change represents a global challenge, but it also exacerbates existing disparities among individuals and communities. LGBT people face discrimination and exclusion, creating unique vulnerabilities that compound and heighten their exposure to climate-related harms.
The LGBT community tends to live in coastal areas more than the tendency across the broader population, based on information from 15 counties. Researchers also examined extreme heat, cold, excessive precipitation, and dry conditions. These areas also tended to have weaker infrastructure than most of the balance of the US.
The study recommends that city, state, and national governments address it via “action plans” that are not discriminatory for disaster relief.
Given that LGBT populations are more likely to live in areas with poor infrastructure, worse-built environments, and fewer resources to respond to climate change, development plans, and zoning policies, particularly in urban areas, should prioritize expanding green space and enhancing structural resilience.
Interestingly, populations in many of these areas also tend to have lower median household incomes than much of the rest of the nation, and their climate change needs tend to be neglected
