Disparidades econômicas e raciais na exposição às altas temperaturas e áreas verdes no Brasil

Resumo

The World Economic Forum highlights the climate crisis as one of the greatest threats to humanity. The global environmental crisis raises significant concerns, particularly regarding health. In the field of health, it is recognized that disease is not merely a biological construct, bringing to light discussions about environmental justice and social determinants of health in different groups, concerning exposure to environmental risks. This study aims to: 1) identify economic and racial disparities in exposure to high temperatures; 2) investigate the unequal distribution of green areas according to racial and socioeconomic characteristics. Research suggests an association between increased mortality and elevated temperatures, with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases being the most exarcebated. Access to residential green spaces can improve mental and cardiovascular health, reduce the risk of obesity, exposure to noise pollution, and epigenetic aging. We used data from the 2010 Census by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from NASA EarthData, and the Global High-Resolution Estimates of Extreme Heat (GEHE) database from SEDAC NASA. To analyze disparities in exposure to high temperatures, we calculated population-weighted heat exposure. For the analysis of disparities in access to green areas, we applied the Generalized Additive Model (GAM). Our study found that Black, brown, indigenous, and low-income individuals face greater exposure to extreme heat days in Brazil. Regarding green areas, we observed an unequal distribution based on income and education, but did not find a clear pattern of racial disparities. This pioneering study underscores the need for future research to deepen the understanding of the environmental justice landscape in Brazil, aiming at the formulation of equitable and evidence-informed policies.

Ficha do documento

Tipo

Dissertação

Ano

2024

Instituição

Fundação Getulio Vargas

Fonte

Repositório da FGV

Idioma

Português

Acesso

Acesso aberto

Identificador

oai:repositorio.fgv.br:10438/35680

Temas

Administração PúblicaMeio Ambiente

Palavras-chave

Mudanças climáticasJustiça climáticaDisparidades raciais e econômicasPopulações vulneráveisClimate changeEnvironmental justiceRacial and economic disparitiesVulnerable populationsAdministração públicaMudanças climáticas - Política governamentalDisparidades econômicas regionaisImpacto ambientalRelações raciais