Addressing blind spots in environmental justice: The Central Valley as a proof of concept

Team: Jenny Suckale, Gabrielle Wong-Parodi, Jens Hainmueller, Daniel Ho
Mid-range (Developing)

The goal of this project was to uncover persistent blind spots in environmental justice for marginalized communities. The project team co-created tools, generated actionable scientific insights, and developed policies and governance systems that reduce environmental risk. The team focused on the Central Valley of California as a demonstration area to support tribal and immigrant communities, rethink vulnerability indices, and modernize environmental compliance. The researchers then built new partnerships and collaborations with the Tule River Tribe and the California Rural Indian Health Board, as well as community groups and state agencies. Through these partners, the project team connected community engagement with analysis of Medicaid health data. Reports based on this analysis are in draft. The team is also working with state agencies to design climate adaptation initiatives and to quantify vulnerability to climate change with tools such as CalEnviroScreen.