Climate change health impacts & community action (CCHICA) - climate change and drought disproportionately impacts rural areas and racial populations within new mexico

High exposure to poor air quality, poor water quality and extreme climate events, as well as the demographic, social and behavioral context (e.g. housing, transportation, infrastructure, socio economic status, age, disability) make populations of color more vulnerable to the short and long term health effects of drought. This project will study policies enacted at state, regional and six local and tribal jurisdictions to address the impact of drought. The new mexico environmental and public health network will work with six multi-sector county and tribal health councils to analyze how drought related policies may perpetuate structural racism. Populations of focus: six multi-sector health councils will be selected from the following county or tribal communities identified as being at high risk for health related impacts of drought: the counties of SAN juan, mckinley, sandoval, luna, dona ANA, otero, cibola, and sierra; or tribal communities of navajo nation, jemez, SAN felipe, santo domingo, cochiti, mescalero, and laguna. Goal: to identify content of drought-related public policy and/or variations in practices across jurisdictions that contribute to or perpetuate racial health inequities and to revise or develop new policies to decrease health inequities and reduce their impact on structural racism. Objectives: 1. By january 2023, 6 county and tribal health councils will be selected to participate in the project and will complete the initial orientation training. 2. By july 2023, health councils and members of the evaluation and advisory teams will complete the initial assessment of local policies using the legal epidemiology framework. 3. By september 2023, health councils will develop a disparity impact statement (DIS) using local data to identify populations at highest risk for health disparities and low health literacy. 4. By september 2025, health councils will have implemented their DIS action plans and completed an assessment of how the new/revised policy strategies reduced or removed structural racism and improved health outcomes. 5. By september 2025, health councils will demonstrate increased capacity to enhance communities' ability to improve health conditions related to drought. 6. By september 2025, a final report describing policy findings and recommendations for new or revised policy strategies and practices will be completed and disseminated. Outcomes: - new/revised policies and practices to reduce health disparities due to drought - increased capacity of health councils and community members to implement and assess the impact of policy and practices. - increased capacity of communities to make equitable data-driven policy and practice decisions and effectively address structural barriers contributing to health disparities, especially among racial and ethnic populations. - improved health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority populations of focus. - improved access to services that mitigate factors contributing to structural racism.