Environmental Health Related Socio-Spatial Inequalities: Identifying “Hotspots” of Environmental Burdens and Social Vulnerability
Differential exposure to multiple environmental burdens and benefits and their distribution across a population with varying vulnerability can contribute heavily to health inequalities. Particularly relevant are areas with high cumulative burdens and high social vulnerability termed as “hotspots”. T...
Main Authors: | , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2016-07-01
|
Series: | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/7/691 |
id |
doaj-7c1690aaf29d43278a1381edc623c71e |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-7c1690aaf29d43278a1381edc623c71e2020-11-24T23:42:20ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1660-46012016-07-0113769110.3390/ijerph13070691ijerph13070691Environmental Health Related Socio-Spatial Inequalities: Identifying “Hotspots” of Environmental Burdens and Social VulnerabilityRehana Shrestha0Johannes Flacke1Javier Martinez2Martin van Maarseveen3Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The NetherlandsFaculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The NetherlandsFaculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The NetherlandsFaculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The NetherlandsDifferential exposure to multiple environmental burdens and benefits and their distribution across a population with varying vulnerability can contribute heavily to health inequalities. Particularly relevant are areas with high cumulative burdens and high social vulnerability termed as “hotspots”. This paper develops an index-based approach to assess these multiple burdens and benefits in combination with vulnerability factors at detailed intra-urban level. The method is applied to the city of Dortmund, Germany. Using non-spatial and spatial methods we assessed inequalities and identified “hotspot” areas in the city. We found modest inequalities burdening higher vulnerable groups in Dortmund (CI = −0.020 at p < 0.05). At the detailed intra-urban level, however, inequalities showed strong geographical patterns. Large numbers of “hotspots” exist in the northern part of the city compared to the southern part. A holistic assessment, particularly at a detailed local level, considering both environmental burdens and benefits and their distribution across the population with the different vulnerability, is essential to inform environmental justice debates and to mobilize local stakeholders. Locating “hotspot” areas at this detailed spatial level can serve as a basis to develop interventions that target vulnerable groups to ensure a health conducive equal environment.http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/7/691multiple burdens and benefitsspatial inequalitysocial vulnerability“hotspots”indicatorsdasymetric method |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Rehana Shrestha Johannes Flacke Javier Martinez Martin van Maarseveen |
spellingShingle |
Rehana Shrestha Johannes Flacke Javier Martinez Martin van Maarseveen Environmental Health Related Socio-Spatial Inequalities: Identifying “Hotspots” of Environmental Burdens and Social Vulnerability International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health multiple burdens and benefits spatial inequality social vulnerability “hotspots” indicators dasymetric method |
author_facet |
Rehana Shrestha Johannes Flacke Javier Martinez Martin van Maarseveen |
author_sort |
Rehana Shrestha |
title |
Environmental Health Related Socio-Spatial Inequalities: Identifying “Hotspots” of Environmental Burdens and Social Vulnerability |
title_short |
Environmental Health Related Socio-Spatial Inequalities: Identifying “Hotspots” of Environmental Burdens and Social Vulnerability |
title_full |
Environmental Health Related Socio-Spatial Inequalities: Identifying “Hotspots” of Environmental Burdens and Social Vulnerability |
title_fullStr |
Environmental Health Related Socio-Spatial Inequalities: Identifying “Hotspots” of Environmental Burdens and Social Vulnerability |
title_full_unstemmed |
Environmental Health Related Socio-Spatial Inequalities: Identifying “Hotspots” of Environmental Burdens and Social Vulnerability |
title_sort |
environmental health related socio-spatial inequalities: identifying “hotspots” of environmental burdens and social vulnerability |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2016-07-01 |
description |
Differential exposure to multiple environmental burdens and benefits and their distribution across a population with varying vulnerability can contribute heavily to health inequalities. Particularly relevant are areas with high cumulative burdens and high social vulnerability termed as “hotspots”. This paper develops an index-based approach to assess these multiple burdens and benefits in combination with vulnerability factors at detailed intra-urban level. The method is applied to the city of Dortmund, Germany. Using non-spatial and spatial methods we assessed inequalities and identified “hotspot” areas in the city. We found modest inequalities burdening higher vulnerable groups in Dortmund (CI = −0.020 at p < 0.05). At the detailed intra-urban level, however, inequalities showed strong geographical patterns. Large numbers of “hotspots” exist in the northern part of the city compared to the southern part. A holistic assessment, particularly at a detailed local level, considering both environmental burdens and benefits and their distribution across the population with the different vulnerability, is essential to inform environmental justice debates and to mobilize local stakeholders. Locating “hotspot” areas at this detailed spatial level can serve as a basis to develop interventions that target vulnerable groups to ensure a health conducive equal environment. |
topic |
multiple burdens and benefits spatial inequality social vulnerability “hotspots” indicators dasymetric method |
url |
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/7/691 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT rehanashrestha environmentalhealthrelatedsociospatialinequalitiesidentifyinghotspotsofenvironmentalburdensandsocialvulnerability AT johannesflacke environmentalhealthrelatedsociospatialinequalitiesidentifyinghotspotsofenvironmentalburdensandsocialvulnerability AT javiermartinez environmentalhealthrelatedsociospatialinequalitiesidentifyinghotspotsofenvironmentalburdensandsocialvulnerability AT martinvanmaarseveen environmentalhealthrelatedsociospatialinequalitiesidentifyinghotspotsofenvironmentalburdensandsocialvulnerability |
_version_ |
1725504955441217536 |