EXPLORING MIAMI SEA LEVEL RISE: A CONCEPTUAL APPROACH

The negative impacts of climate change have become more heavily pronounced since the industrial revolution, and have become especially observable at the local level, posing substantial existential risk to residents. Intersecting the negative impacts of climate change with social vulnerability is particularly important because of the intimate relationship between natural systems, the built environment, and human systems. This paper seeks to investigate Miami-Dade County with respect to sea level rise and the potential impact to the population using an environmental risk and vulnerability framework. Data on housing demographics and elevation are used to assess potential risk to Miami residents from sea level rise. The study finds that the socially disadvantaged are more likely to suffer the brunt of the effect of sea level rise due to their location in low-lying regions and limited options to deal with sea level rise. Policy actions and attention to the risk of sea level rise posed to socially vulnerable tracts are recommended