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HIA - Should waterways be paved in border communities of CA and Mexico (presented to one community of promotoras)?

elizabeth friedman (2015)

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Background

A government body, for a district, outside of Tijuana, was considering paving it’s river canals. Makeshift neighborhoods had developed along these canals. A group of residents were advocating for the canals to be converted into a park, with native plantlife, and no concrete. This HIA flowchart (with complementary notes under the slides and references to support the outcomes) was developed to present to local residents, including some community health workers, with the support of a translator.

While I left the region before the decision was made (whether or not to pave more canals), the content I provided was to be used to make a case for supporting this intervention. The value of a Health Impact Assessment is that it is a tool to help identify how certain decisions could impact the health of community members; used in combination with several other advocacy tools it can be effective in informing decision making individuals and groups.

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Economic Effects

↓Cost d/t plan already established

↑Profits by the contractors paving canal

↓Lost work & travel for those traveling around canal (community members)

↑Spending on Police guarding canals

↑Profits to developers who build along paved section (possible profits if stores???)

Environmental Changes

↑Potential for untreated sewage to be discharged into the estuary or ocean (by using pervious surfaces)1

↓Groundwater table filling

↓Air quality (?)

↑Erosion (same as other???)

↑Pollution (detergents in dust, POCs, etc.)

↑Heat vulnerability – Heat island

Loss of last section of x type of biodiversity - ecosystem (??)

Social Changes

↓Social interactions

↓Foot traffic

↓Social cohesion & identity of community

↑Upset by US estuary supporters **

Health Changes (physical / mental)

↓Mental health and well being

↓Academic performance among children

↑Risk of asthma, CVD, other diseases

↑Morbidity & mortality

Public Safety Changes

↑Presence of drug users &/or homeless living in canals

↑MVAs with ↑ people crossing undesignated non-pedestrian roadways

↓Presence of community members

Paving of canal (flood control channel)

Non-pervious surface

Further physical division of community

Space not occupied / accessed by public

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Park/Green-space1

↑Aesthetics

Economic Effects

Low cost of maintenance; self-sustaining ecosystem

↑Potential for eco-tourism

↓Cost of healthcare

Environmental Changes

↓Potential for untreated sewage to be discharged into the estuary or ocean (by using pervious surfaces)5

Replenishes groundwater table

↑Air quality3

↓Erosion

↓Pollution (detergents in dust, POCs, etc.)

↓Heat vulnerability (w/ green space)4

↑Mosquitos (?) → Infectious Diseases (?)

Social Changes (assuming foot paths)

↑Social interactions8

↑Foot traffic → ↑ local commerce

↑Social cohesion & identity of community15-19

↓Upset by US estuary supporters

Health Changes (physical / mental)

↓Obesity & sedentary lifestyle2

↓Stress

↓Falls in elderly21

↓Chronic disease

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↑Mental health and well being

↑Academic performance among children9-14

Public Safety Changes

↓Violence20

↓Presence of drug users living in canals → redirect police elsewhere

↑Mosquitos (disease vectors) [?]

↑Paths & Community space

↑Physical activity2,3,4

↑Walking

↑Access to activities that support health

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Maintenance of indigenous ecosystem

↑Aesthetics

Cont. Pervious surfaces

Cont. Presence of Fauna

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En Espanol

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Efectos Economicos

↓Costo del plan ya establecido

↑Ganacios de los contratistas pavimentando el canal

↓Perdida de tiempo y estuerio para aquellos q tienes q bordear el canal

↑Gastos en policia que reguardan el canal

↑Ganacias de las constructoras que construyen sobre la seccion pavimentado

Cambios del Medio Ambiente

↑Potencial para que el agual del drenaje no tratando desemboque en el Estuario o en el Oceano1

↓Llenado de las aguas subterraneas

↓Calidad del aire ambiental

↑Erosion

↑Pollution (detergents in dust, POCs, etc.)

↑Vulnerabilidad del calor

Perdida de la ultima seccion de esa ecosistema

Cambios Sociales

↓Interacciones sociales

↓Trafico peatonal

↓Cohesion social e indentidad comunitaria

↑Molestias a los en EEUU q apoyan la estuaria

Cambios de Salud (physical / mental)

↓Salud mental del bienestar proprio

↓Desempeno academico esntre los ninos

↑Riesgo de asthma, enfermedades cardo vasculares y otras enfermedades

↑Morbilidad y mortalidad

Cambios de la Seguridad Publica

↑Presencia de drogadictos y vagabondos viviendo en el canal

↑Accidentes vehiculares con menos lugards asignados para cruces de peatones

↓Presencia de miebros de la comunidad

Pavimentacion del canal (control inundacion del canal)

Superficie no porosa

Diversion mas marcada de la comunidad

Espacio no ocupado / acceso al publico

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Parque/Espacio verde1

↑Estetics

Efectos Economicos

Baja costco de mantenimiento

↑Ecosistema autonomo

↓Costo de cuidado de salud

↑Potencial para eco-tourismo

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Cambios Ambientales

↓Potencial para que el agua del drenaje no tratado desemboque en el Estuario o Oceano (con superficies porosas)5

Repostar las aguas subterraneas

↑Calidad del aire ambiental3

↓Erosion

↓Contaminacion (Detergente en el polvo, POCs, etc.)

↓Vulnerabilidad del calor (con espacios verdes)4

↑Mosquitos → enfermedades infeccionas

Cambios sociales (si hay caminos)

↑Interacciones sociales8

↑Trafico peatonal → ↑ Comercia local

↑Cohesion social a identidad comunitaria15-19

Cambios de Salud

↓Obesidad y vida sedentaria2

↓Estres

↓Caiclas en el anciano21

↓Enfermedades cronicals20

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↑Salud mental y del bien estar proprio

↑Actuacion academico entre los niños9-14

Cambios en la Seguridad Publica

↓Violencia20

↓Presencia de drogadictos viviendo en el canal 🡪 enviando la policia a algun otro lado

↑Mosquitos (vectores de enfermedades)

↑Caminos y espacios communes

↑Actividad Fisica2,3,4

↑Caminata

↑Acceso a lctividades que apoyen la salud

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Mantenimiento del Ecosistema Indigeno

↑Estetics

Cont. Superficies porosas

Cont. Presencia de fauna

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RESOURCES – REFERENCES

  1. Mitchell, R and Popham, F. 2008. “Effect of exposure to natural environment on health inequities: an observational population study.” The Lancet vol 372 [people who are exposed to the greenest environments also have the lowest levels of health inequality among low-income households. Physical environments, like parks and trails, that promote good health might be important to reduce socioeconomic health inequalities]
  2. Blanck HM, Allen D,Bashir Z, Gordon N, Goodman A, Merriam D, Rutt, C.Let's go play in the park today: the role of parks in obesity prevention and improving the public's health. Childhood Obesity 2012;8(5):423-8.
  3. Humpel N, Owen N, Leslie E. Environmental factors associated with adults’ participation in physical activity, a review. Am J Prev Med 2002;22(3):188-99.
  4. Saelens BE, Sallis JF, Frank LD. Environmental correlates of walking and cycling: findings from the transportation, urban design, and planning literatures. Ann Behav Med, 2003; 25:80-91.
  5. Several articles on Air Quality – http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/links.htm. Final Report: The National Morbidity, Mortality, and Air Pollution Study: Morbidity and Mortality from Air Pollution in the United States. Electronic reference: http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/2399/report/F
  6. Heat Vulnerability → http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/; & bibliography: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/bibliography.asp
  7. Water http://water.epa.gov
  8. Kuo, F.E., Sullivan, W.C., Coley, R.L., & Brunson, L. (1998). Fertile ground for community: Inner-city neighborhood common spaces. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26(6), 823-851. [http://lhhl.illinois.edu/communities.htm]
  9. Taylor, A.F., Wiley, A., Kuo, F.E., & Sullivan, W.C. (1998). Growing up in the inner city: Green spaces as places to grow. Environment & Behavior, (30)1, 3-27.
  10. Faber Taylor, A., Kuo, F.E., & Sullivan, W.C. (2001). Coping with ADD: The surprising connection to green play settings. Environment & Behavior, 33(1), 54-77.

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RESOURCES – REFERENCES (continued)

11) Faber Taylor, A., Kuo, F.E., & Sullivan, W.C. (2002). Views of nature and self-discipline: Evidence from inner-city children. Journal of Environmental Psychology, Special Issue: Environment and Children, 22, 49-63.

12) Kuo, F.E., & Faber Taylor, A. (2004). A potential natural treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Evidence from a national study. American Journal of Public Health, 94(9), 1580-1586 .

13) Faber Taylor, A. & Kuo, F.E. (2006). Is contact with nature important for healthy child development? State of the evidence. In Spencer, C. & Blades, M. (Eds.), Children and Their Environments: Learning, Using and Designing Spaces. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.

14) Faber Taylor, A. & Kuo, F.E. Children with attention deficits concentrate better after walk in the park. Journal of Attention Disorders, 12, 402-409.

15) Coley, R.L., Kuo, F.E., & Sullivan, W.C. (1997). Where does community grow? The social context created by nature in urban public housing. Environment & Behavior, 29(4), 468-494.

16) Taylor, A.F., Wiley, A., Kuo, F.E., & Sullivan, W.C. (1998). Growing up in the inner city: Green spaces as places to grow. Environment & Behavior, (30)1, 3-27.

17) Kuo, F.E., Sullivan, W.C., Coley, R.L., & Brunson, L. (1998). Fertile ground for community: Inner-city neighborhood common spaces. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26(6), 823-851.

18) Brunson, L.B., Kuo, F.E., & Sullivan, W.C. (2001). Resident appropriation of defensible space in public housing: Implications for safety and community. Environment & Behavior 33(5), 626-652.

19) Sullivan, W.C., Kuo, F.E., & DePooter, S.F. (2004). The fruit of urban nature: Vital neighborhood spaces. Environment & Behavior, 36(5), 678-700.

20) http://www.psr.org/assets/pdfs/particulate-matter-fact-sheet.pdf [re: air particulate]

21) http://lhhl.illinois.edu/all.scientific.articles.htm

22) http://www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/healthtopics/healthyaging.htm [re: aging]

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