Socioterritorial Environmental Racism Index: A Quantitative Approach to Mapping Urban Injustices

Abstract

Objective: To develop and apply the Socioterritorial Environmental Racism Index (ISRA) to measure the spatial overlap of racial, socioeconomic, territorial, and environmental inequalities in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods: An ecological spatial study encompassing 27,618 census tracts across 22 municipalities. Twenty-four indicators were integrated into five dimensions: gender and race, socioeconomic conditions, urban infrastructure, territorial characteristics, and environmental conditions. Census data, remote sensing, and environmental modeling were used to normalize indicators and construct a georeferenced composite index. Results: Of the census tracts analyzed, 50.5% presented high or very high ISRA scores, encompassing 56.0% of the metropolitan population (6,733,808 inhabitants). Among residents of census tracts where more than 90% of the area consisted of favelas or urban communities, 99.0% lived in areas classified as having high or very high ISRA scores. The greatest vulnerabilities were concentrated in Baixada Fluminense, the northern and western zones of Rio de Janeiro city, and peripheral municipalities, revealing overlapping racial inequalities, inadequate urban infrastructure, and environmental hazards. Conclusions: The ISRA enabled the quantification and spatial mapping of inequalities associated with environmental racism, providing a tool to identify priority territories and support public health surveillance, urban planning, and policies promoting socioenvironmental justice.