IGEE Proceedings

Article

Environmental Inequality and Socioeconomic Vulnerability: A Meta-Analysis and Exploratory GIS-Based Spatial Analysis of Seoul: Seoyoung Park, Minseo Kim, Dayoung Lee, Seohyun Lee, Sohye Lee; Received February 4, 2026 Accepted October 14, 2026 Published online October 22, 2026; DOI: https://doi.org/10.69841/igee.2026.023 [Epub ahead of print]

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Background
Environmental inequality refers to the unequal distribution of environmental risks and benefits across social groups and geographic areas. Previous studies have reported associations between various environmental indicators and socioeconomic factors; however, substantial heterogeneity across studies has limited the ability to draw generalized conclusions. Therefore, this study aimed to synthesize the overall pattern of association between environmental disadvantage and socioeconomic vulnerability reported in previous empirical studies, explore how related spatial patterns are manifested within Seoul, and consider their implications for environmental justice screening and ESG-informed urban environmental governance.
Methods
Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of domestic and international literature was conducted, and a random-effects meta-analysis was performed on ten empirical studies. Effect sizes were based on reported correlation coefficients (r), which were transformed using Fisher’s z transformation, pooled, and subsequently converted back to correlation coefficients. In addition, an exploratory area-level GIS analysis was conducted across 426 administrative dongs (neighborhood-level administrative units) in Seoul, South Korea. Potential environmental burden was represented by the proportion of land area located within a 300-m proximity zone surrounding environmental infrastructure facilities, while housing vulnerability was represented by the proportion of publicly supported housing. The association between these proxy indicators was examined using correlation analysis, and spatial clustering of the environmental facility proximity indicator was assessed using Global Moran’s I and Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA).
Results
The meta-analysis yielded a positive pooled association between environmental disadvantage and socioeconomic vulnerability (r = 0.316, 95% CI: 0.183–0.438), although substantial between-study heterogeneity indicated considerable variation across research contexts. The GIS analysis of Seoul identified a weak positive area-level association between the 300-m environmental facility proximity indicator and the publicly supported housing ratio (r = 0.187, R² = 0.035). Furthermore, the Global Moran’s I analysis showed statistically significant positive spatial autocorrelation in the environmental facility proximity indicator (I = 0.216, z = 7.790, pseudo p = 0.001; 999 permutations). A 500-m sensitivity analysis produced similar directional results.
Conclusions
This study quantitatively synthesized evidence suggesting an overall positive relationship between environmental inequality and socioeconomic vulnerability. The Seoul case study further provided exploratory evidence of a weak positive association between environmental facility proximity and the proportion of publicly supported housing, as well as the presence of localized spatial clustering patterns. However, given the limited number of included studies, the substantial heterogeneity among them, and the use of proxy measures for both environmental burden and housing vulnerability in the GIS analysis, the findings should be interpreted as preliminary evidence rather than definitive causal conclusions. Accordingly, the Seoul analysis should be interpreted as a screening-oriented exploratory assessment that may help identify candidate areas for more detailed environmental and socioeconomic investigation, rather than as a stand-alone basis for designating environmentally unjust areas or determining direct policy intervention.; Summary

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