Aaron Flores
Arizona State University
School of Geographical Sciences & Urban Planning
As a human-environmental geographer, my research interests center around the social aspects of hazards and disasters. In particular, my work focuses on distributional environmental justice, which determines whether or not socially disadvantaged groups are disproportionately exposed to hazards (e.g., flooding, extreme heat, pollution). My research in this area has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Ford Foundation. I have published extensively in respected academic journals such as the Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Environmental Research, Environmental Justice, Public Health Reports, Population and Environment, Disasters, and the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. I am proud to contribute to the ongoing dialogue surrounding issues of racial and spatial justice, and I look forward to continuing my work in this vital area.
Recent Research
My main current research area focuses on federally-overlooked 100-year flood risk inequities in the Conterminous United States (CONUS). This work utilizes dasymetric mapping, flood risk data from Fathom-Global and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as well as sociodemographic data from the American Community Survey administered by the United States Census Bureau.
Hurricane Harvey Impacts
Much of my work has focused on the social vulnerability and environmental justice dimensions of Hurricane Harvey, which devastated the Texas Gulf Coast in 2017. This research highlights the disproportionate impacts of Harvey on racial/ethnic minorities and those of low socioeconomic status in Greater Houston, Texas, in terms of exposures, adverse event experiences, and post-disaster recovery.
Extreme Heat
I've also examined inequitable exposure to extreme heat at the neighborhood-level using Landsat satellite imagery in places such as Phoenix, AZ, Lubbock, TX, and the Northeastern United States. This research has consistently observed that neighborhoods with higher percentages of racial/ethnic minorities and those of low socioeconomic status have higher land surface temperatures.
Air Quality Monitoring
I've also collaborated on a project with researchers at the University of Utah focused on social inequalities in the distribution of PurpleAir sensors (a non-governmental air quality monitoring network) in Los Angeles County, California. This work indicates that neighborhoods with higher percentages of Hispanic/Latinx, Black, and low-income residents have reduced access to information about local air pollution.