In the first two installments of this series, LIIF created a framework to understand the severity of climate disasters on young children in Harris County, Texas by using climate-risk data from the Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) and child care facility data as a proxy for where children are physically located across the county. This analysis can be used by Harris County officials to determine appropriate interventions for mitigating climate disaster and environmental risk — and addressing the root causes of climate change while prioritizing the needs of families and children.
Part 3 of this series offers regionally specific interventions that align with the goals of the Harris County’s Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2025-29. This StoryMap walks through three different neighborhoods in Harris County and examines the type of infrastructure investments that may be most effective in these areas depending on the type of climate risk identified. Based on those risks, the report suggests co-location of child care and affordable housing, flood-resilient infrastructure and extreme heat mitigation strategies as ways Harris County could simultaneously achieve their strategic plan goals and prioritize the well-being of young children.
Recommendations and discussion in this paper and entire series represent just a snapshot of the many ways Harris County’s goals and strategic priorities could protect and support young children. By applying data in ways that center indicators of actual climate risk in places that children learn and grow, we begin to see a path forward for a coordinated policy agenda.
Image: Effective stormwater management. This bioswale/rain garden is designed to capture, filter and infiltrate polluted runoff.
Interested in prior blogs on this topic?
Read Part 1.
Read Part 2.
This StoryMap walks through three different neighborhoods in Harris County and examines the type of infrastructure investments that may be most effective in these areas depending on the type of climate risk identified.