Securitization of Hurricane Katrina: Slow violence and injustice in New Orleans.

This article examines the disproportionate impact of Hurricane Katrina on marginalized communities in New Orleans through the lenses of environmental securitization theory and the concept of slow violence, which refers to the gradual, systemic neglect and structural inequalities that exacerbate vulnerability to disasters. It argues that the dominant territorial securitization paradigm, focused on state-centered military preparedness and emergency response, failed to address long-term issues such as racism, poverty, and infrastructural neglect that made Black and low-income neighborhoods especially susceptible to flooding and inadequate evacuation. The study draws parallels with the federal response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, highlighting how political exclusion and systemic marginalization similarly shaped disaster outcomes. Ultimately, the article calls for a shift from militarized, reactive disaster management toward justice-centered, resilience-building approaches that confront the root causes of environmental injustice and slow violence.