Disasters and Environmental Justice Policy 15 Years After Hurricane Katrina: What Has Changed?

Abstract

When Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast Region more than 15 years ago, activists and scholars advocated for environmental justice to be incorporated into disaster policy reform. This research examines the federal investigations and disaster policy after Hurricane Katrina to determine what changes have been implemented to address environmental justice concerns in disaster management and recovery policies after Hurricane Katrina. The results indicate that despite early advocacy after the hurricane, an analysis of the post-event investigations and reform proposals reveals a failure to adopt substantive federal policy change after the disaster. The Gulf Coast region has continued to experience large-scale disasters since Hurricane Katrina, yet federal disaster policy lags behind state and local policies that incorporate environmental justice considerations into policymaking and planning. This study contributes to our understanding of the nexus between disaster policy and environmental justice. Given the increasing severity and frequency of disaster events and disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities, environmental justice considerations continue to have significant implications for disaster research and environmental justice scholarship.