ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: THE INTERSECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Introduction

Climate change has spotlighted the critical co-relation between environmental issues and human rights. That’s why ‘Environmental justice’ has emerged as an important base for addressing the inequalities faced by marginalized communities, notably those who are extremely impacted because of destruction caused in our environment. It also emphasizes about the equity in policy making, guaranteeing that marginalized communities have a say in the decision making directly or indirectly affecting their lives. This solution also highlights the right to clean air, water and land, while arguing for the betterment of vulnerable population because of climate change. By acknowledging human rights aspect about environmental challenges, we can develop more inclusive and effective solutions that empower communities and enhance their resilience to climate-related issues.

Climate change

The earth is warming, and temperature have warned about 2 degrees Fahrenheit, that is 1.1 degrees Celsius, 1880s.[1] Climate change affects everyone, but it will affect the people of the developing and developed nations more in comparison with other nations, because of socio, economic, political and geographical factors. And as a consequence, a large number of people have to leave their mother land.

Impact on people

A drastic change in our weather will eventually lead to a lot of challenges[2]. People have to leave their home their motherland. And this thing will not only affect the individuals emotionally but also economically also, because we are not sure that those individuals who have to leave their place know some skills to earn their livelihood for maintaining their family.

Examples – Bushfires in Australia, 2020-21 which affected millions of people and animals [3] and Canadian wildfire,2023.[4]

Hurricane Sandy, New York, 2012 Which has caused a lot of destruction.[5]

Environment is one of the most important factors which has been neglected by us for very long time but now it is the time where there is need for us to take a stand as there is no single body has holding environment everybody has a equal right on environment.

Environmental justice

The environmental justice movement was started by grassroots individuals primarily black and indigenous communities who are facing the highest rates of environmental contamination and the 1960s American civil rights movement brought forward environmental hazard and public health issues in poor world communities that they were facing later on in 1968 the Memphis sanitation strike demonstrated the unequal treatment that black workers are facing by having low pain with toxic health conditions this event investigated by reverend activist Dr Martin Luther king. Who we all know that pushed forward the interconnectedness between economic social and environmental justice. So, during 1970s and 1980s the environmental justice began to grow and highlighted issues of race, class and status that modern environment conservation movements failed to emphasize. One prominent figure in environmental justice is “Hazel M Johnson” who is known as the mother of environmental justice she led her community in Chicago and created people for community recovery to empower and educate those residing in low-income communities of Chicago through her experience living in nearby toxic facilities at her public housing she was successfully able to hold the public housing authority accountable for their negligence to protect community members. “Robert Bullard” Father of environmental justice he addressed systematic injustices.[6]

Human Rights Dimension

Human rights and environmental justice are deeply intertwined. The United Nations recognizes that a clean and healthy environment is a part of human rights. This recognition is especially critical for communities facing the harsh realities of climate change, which exacerbates existing inequalities.[7]

1. Right to Life and Health: Climate change poses significant risks to health, with increasing temperatures, unbearable weather, and poor air quality leading to a myriad of health issues. Vulnerable communities often lack access to adequate healthcare, making them more susceptible to these impacts.[8]
2. Right to Water and Sanitation: As climate change alters precipitation patterns, many communities face water scarcity or contamination, threatening their right to safe drinking water and sanitation. Indigenous and rural populations, in particular, often rely on natural water sources that are increasingly under threat.[9]
3. Right to Livelihood: Many communities depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. Climate change affects agriculture, fisheries, and forestry, jeopardizing food security and economic stability. Marginalized groups often have limited options for adaptation or recovery.[10]

Indian Perspective

The impact of climate change presents severe difficulties to India which affects both environmental and economic and social dimensions. Rising heatwaves together with floods and escalating sea levels create multiple disaster risks that pose severe threats to Indian agriculture and biodiversity and national public health systems. The combination of warmer temperatures and modified rainfall conditions causes India’s land-based ecosystems together with water areas and coastal regions to lose biodiversity while their production rates decline and broadened forest areas result from the changing environmental factors. Marine environment suffers from water heating and declining sea oxygen levels creating simultaneous threats.[11] India has taken several measures such as:

• Net zero emissions by 2070- primarily aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;[12]
• Renewable energy- achieving 500GW from non-fossil fuels;[13]
• Green Hydrogen Mission- aiming to produce five million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030[14],etc.

Policy Implications and Solutions

Public Awareness Campaigns- Organize campaigns to increase awareness about the intersection of human rights and environmental issues, empowering communities to take stand for their rights.

Climate Resilience Funding- On a global level different countries should allocate some amount of funds for marginalized community who is affected due to climate change and also allocate funds to control climate change.

Pollution Control Regulation- On a global level there should be pollution control regulations based on the principles of equity because developed countries do more greenhouse emissions in compare to developed and developing countries.

There can’t be just few listed solutions, we need a comprehensive set of policies and solutions to control climate change and to protect humans.

Conclusion

In conclusion we can say that now there is an emergence to address the climate change and its effects due to the increase in development. Development and climate change are going parallel to each other there is a negative relation between development and climate as development rises climates degrades more. So, we need certain policies, strategies, and measures for addressing the issue of climate change.

[1] Global Temperatures, NASA earth Observatory (2023).

[2] Climate change: Land degradation and desertification (2020) World Health Organization

[3] Fire, NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

[4] Canada wildfires, 2023 – Forensic analysis.

[5]Alexius Tan, Sandy and Its Impacts (2012), report on the impacts of Hurricane Sandy on New York City.

[6] David W. P. McGowan, A new approach to measuring biodiversity loss (2023).

[7] About human rights and the environment, United Nations.

[8] Climate change: a global health emergency, World Bank.

[9] Water and Sanitization (2022), United Nations.

[10] H. Seino, M. Amano, K. Sasaki, Impacts on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (1998).

[11] Gajendra Kumar, Rima Kumari, B.S.P.C. Kishore, Anil Kumar, M.L. khan, Climate Change Impacts and Implications: An Indian Perspective (2020).

[12] Climate Change Tracker.

[13] Santosh Kumar/Ritu Kataria/ Saurabh Kalia/Ishita Biswas, India’s Renewable Energy Capacity Hits New Milestone, Renewable energy now constitutes more than 46.3% of total capacity (2024).

[14]National Green Hydrogen Mission, Ministry of New and Renewable energy (2023)