The impact of climate change on human rights has become a major concern around the world. This is because it threatens the very existence of people, especially in poor countries. The human cost of climate change in these countries is rising year after year. In island nations, rising sea levels endanger entire populations, threatening them with the loss of their homes. This article aims to bring a human rights perspective to this topic that has traditionally been dominated by scientific and economic discussions and analyses.
Climate change discussions basically used to focus on the scientific, environmental, and economic aspects. As scientific understanding of the causes and consequences of this phenomenon developed and its effects on humans and living conditions became clear, the focus of the discussions gradually expanded to the human and social dimensions of climate change with increasing attention. In 2008, the United Nations issued Resolution 23/07, which drew attention to the impact of climate change and its immediate and long-term threat on the basic rights and the survival of the upcoming generation. It was followed by other resolutions all of which focused on the repercussions of climate change on human rights and the need for international solidarity to confront this scourge.
Climate change, as defined by the United Nations Framework Convention issued in 1992, is: “change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods”. [[1]]
Based on this definition, it becomes clear that climate change, or what is also called global warming, points to one fact that the climate has begun to change and has become warmer than ever before. Here we point out that climate change may occur as a result of natural factors, but all scientific documents, reports and studies confirm that the large percentage of this change is primarily due to human activities. As evidence, greenhouse gas concentrations have far exceeded the pre-industrial levels recorded 650,000 years ago, noting that the main source of this increase is the combustion of fossil fuels.
Experts agree that climate change seriously hurts human rights. But it doesn’t hit everyone equally. The impact depends on the specific right, the people involved, and where they live. Climate change might have a much bigger effect on human rights in Africa or Asia compared to Europe, for various reasons.
The direct effects of climate change on human rights
According to a warning issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to the world in its report issued in 2018, the world only has ten years to reduce global warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius, to confront the catastrophic effects of climate change. Without taking these rapid measures, climate change, extreme weather events, and rising sea levels will expose the lives of millions of people to risks that include all of their rights, including:
The right to life
The right to life is the basis of all human rights, as the rest of the rights do not exist without it. Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights issued by the United Nations in 1948 stipulates: “Everyone has the right to life and liberty.” Likewise, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, issued in 1966, Article 6 of which stipulates that: “The right to life is an inherent right of every human being. The law must protect this right, and no one may be arbitrarily deprived of his life.”
The right to life is one of the rights that imposes positive obligations on states to protect it, by taking all measures to reduce deaths resulting from malnutrition or the spread of epidemics and other causes. If the right to life has this priority; The reality is that climate change will affect it by increasing hunger, malnutrition, and related disorders, especially in the developing world.
According to UNDP report 2022-2023, Political polarization is also a growing concern with global repercussions, it is fueling inward-turning policy approaches – starkly at odds with the global cooperation needed to address urgent issues like the decarbonization of our economies, misuse of digital technologies, and conflict. This is particularly alarming in light of 2023’s record-breaking temperatures, which emphasize the immediate need for united action to tackle the climate crisis using advanced Technology. [[2]]
According to the United Nations Environment Program, nearly 7 million people die around the world every year as a result of air pollution, with about 4 million of these deaths occurring in the Asia-Pacific region. We believe that these huge numbers are clear indications that the issue of climate change is an existential issue, given that it affects one of the most sacred rights, which requires immediate intervention to put an end to this scourge.
The right to adequate food
Article 11 in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, recognized the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions falls within the obligations of a state by guaranteeing freedom from hunger and taking the necessary measures to alleviate it, even in times of natural or other disasters. [[3]]
Due to climate change, it is estimated that crop productivity will decline, which will increase the risk of hunger and food insecurity in poor regions of the world. The poor who live in developing countries are particularly vulnerable to being affected due to their excessive dependence for their food and livelihood on resources affected by the climate. [[4]]
According to the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, in his report issued in 2008, he emphasized the increasing threat of extreme climate events to livelihoods and food security, which requires special attention to be given to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.
Slow shifts in climate and environment also pose serious long-term challenges. Agricultural seasons are changing, with rainfall and temperature patterns shifting in ways that have significant impacts on crops and livestock. Which directly affects food systems, and it is likely that the exacerbation of food crises extending around the world will create a state of instability that constitutes a suitable environment for the spread of armed conflicts.
As of this year, 2019, the Asia-Pacific region is reported to be stalling in achieving more than half of the goals, having made little or no progress in eliminating hunger. [[5]] Hunger also remains prevalent in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where about 9 out of 10 of the world’s people living in extreme poverty will be living in extreme poverty by 2030. [[6]] All of these data confirm that the world is living on the verge of a collapse in food security, which indicates a humanitarian catastrophe looming on the horizon.
The right to water
The right to water is considered a right no less important than other rights mentioned in international human rights conventions. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) defines it as: “Every person must have access to a source of water, which must be safe, in sufficient quantity, and at the appropriate price, so that the person can live a healthy, dignified, and productive life, but at the same time maintain It takes time for ecosystems to help reproduce water”. [[7]]
As defined by the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, it is the right of every individual to: “obtain a quantity of water that is sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically obtainable and financially affordable for use for personal and domestic purposes.” [[8]]
As it is known, the right to water, like other rights, is faced with many threats, the most prominent of which are climate changes that have led to the loss of glaciers and the reduction of snow cover, which, according to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in its report issued in 2006; To negatively affect more than one-sixth of the world’s population. [[9]] In addition, it will deprive an estimated 1.1 billion people in the world of safe access to drinking water, which will constitute a major cause of illness and disease. It doesn’t stop there; Rather, it goes beyond the fact that the climate changes that the world is witnessing interact with a group of other causes that put pressure on water availability, such as environmental degradation, poverty, inequality, and population growth.
The right to health
The World Health Organization defines the right to health as: “a state of complete physical, psychological and social well-being, which is not achieved merely by the absence of disease or infirmity.” Many international instruments have emphasized this broad meaning of health, among which we mention, but not limited to, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which stipulates in Article 12 of it: “The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of every human being to the enjoyment of the highest standard of health.” Physically and mentally attainable.”
The right to health does not mean the individual’s right to be healthy, but rather includes the right to enjoy conditions and services conducive to a dignified life in which equality and non-discrimination prevail in the field of health. However, in view of the climate changes that have swept the world, it is expected that this right will face many problems, most notably the increase in malnutrition, the spread of diseases and injuries due to severe weather events, and the exacerbation of the problems of respiratory and infectious diseases. Especially among the population of poor countries, and what the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are witnessing is conclusive evidence of the terrible impact of climate change on the right to health.
As the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights stated at the panel discussion on human rights and climate change held on 3 March 2016, climate change threatens fundamental determinants of health at all levels and disproportionately affects those with the least assets, namely women and children, older persons, indigenous peoples, minorities, migrants, rural workers, persons with disabilities and the poor, exacerbating existing risks to their lives and livelihoods. Regarding the disease, she explained that cholera outbreaks are increasing in changing climate conditions. Insects and other vectors of diseases are very sensitive to heat, humidity and rainfall. Climate change has given dengue a very wide geographic range, and may do the same to malaria. By 2050, experts expect climate change will cause an additional 250,000 deaths each year, just from malaria, diarrhea, heat stress and nutritional deficiencies. It highlights that the impact of climate change can erase the gains of the health sector and cause huge losses in lives and property.
The right to adequate housing
This right has been stipulated in many international and regional human rights instruments. For example, Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stipulates that: “Every person has the right to a standard of living adequate to maintain the health and well-being of himself and his family, which includes nutrition, clothing, housing, and medical care.” As well as the necessary social services. He has the right to secure his livelihood in cases of unemployment, illness, disability, widowhood, old age, and other loss of the means of livelihood as a result of circumstances beyond his control.” [[10]]
The Arab Charter on Human Rights also affirmed that: “Every person has the right to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family that provides well-being and a decent living, including food, clothing, housing, and services. He has the right to a healthy environment, and States Parties must take the necessary measures according to their capabilities to enforce these rights.” [[11]]
The right to adequate housing has been a major issue for which many international conferences have been held, most notably the Housing Conference in Istanbul in 1996 and the Housing Conference in 2001. The United Nations Human Settlements Program was also established to support the right to housing in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. This program was known as (Habitat) and is considered the most important global forum in supporting the right to housing.
In contrast to the extreme importance of this right, we find that climate change has severe negative effects on it. According to the expectations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sea level rise and storms will have a direct impact on many coastal settlements and settlements located in the large low-lying deltas. Evidence of this is that millions of people and homes have been affected by floods in recent years, which has become a long-term threat to the regional existence of a number of small island states, which raises several questions about the fate of these groups (peoples).
The bottom line is that climate changes have direct and severe impacts that threaten the lives and safety of people, immediately and directly. Indeed, climate changes have become, as mentioned above, an existential issue for a wide segment of the international community, especially those who live in poor or island countries.
The indirect effects of climate change on human rights
Anyone who contemplates the repercussions of climate change on humans will discover that, in addition to its immediate effects on a group of fundamental rights, it goes beyond that it causes tragic effects in the long term, by wiping out entire peoples and demolishing entire societies.
We will discuss the manifestations of these indirect effects on three main elements due to their dire repercussions on any society in the long term, which are displacement, climate-related asylum, and armed conflicts.
Displacement
Displacement is considered one of the most prominent indirect effects on the rights of those affected. According to the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued in 1990, the largest impact of climate change in itself is human migration. 150 million people may be displaced by the year 2050, due to phenomena related to climate change. Such as desertification, increasing water scarcity, floods and storms, climate change-induced displacement is expected to primarily affect the poorest regions and countries.
It is worth noting here that internally displaced persons often face major challenges with regard to their protection. Safe access to food, water and livelihoods, and restitution of property. Among the most dangerous issues are attacks on their sites, and the resulting sexual violence, in addition to the forced recruitment of displaced children into armed groups.
Also, among the things that increase the complexity of the situation of internally displaced persons is the difficulty of reaching them, especially when they are located in areas outside the control of the government. which weakens the accuracy of the data on which government agencies rely, working in the humanitarian field to determine Immediate and long-term needs.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example: due to the conflict between tribes over land, the country has witnessed gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law. It led to the loss of many lives in addition to the displacement of many citizens. [[12]]
Also in Chad, about 160,000 Chadians were displaced, and among the reasons for this displacement we find cases of tension between different sects, which were exacerbated by competition for limited resources, including water and arable land.
Due to the effects of climate change, it is believed that between 50 and 250 million people may move by the middle of this century, either within their country, or outside its borders, permanently or temporarily. While some of these movements will be voluntary, motivated by the search for a better life in areas that have not been negatively affected by the effects of climate change. Many will be forced to leave their homes, due to sudden weather disasters or slow environmental degradation. Which will create many challenges related to human rights.
In this regard, we refer to the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement issued by the United Nations in 1998, which serve as the international standard framework for providing protection for displaced persons, as they review their specific rights rooted in and derived from international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
One of the most prominent things it stipulates is that the responsibility to provide assistance and protection at all stages of displacement lies primarily with states, by preventing homelessness and providing protection for people displaced due to the effects of climate change and finding durable solutions for them, especially people who cannot return or are not expected to return to their homes or places of habitual residence that are considered dangerous to use as a place of residence. Failure of States to protect the lives of their citizens may amount to a violation of human rights; If the competent authorities knew or should have known of the danger and had the ability to take life-saving measures such as evacuating and temporarily moving residents from the danger areas.
In contrast, we find that some countries are still behaving with a kind of indifference to all these confirmed and tangible facts. The best example of this is what one of the largest countries contributing to the emission of greenhouse gases, namely the United States of America, did by announcing its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, which was adopted on December 12, 2015. It stipulated procedural obligations in accordance with what was stated in the Copenhagen-Cancun Agreements, which were based on voluntary mitigation pledges.
This raises several questions about the extent of the international community’s seriousness in dealing with climate change, which does not affect a country itself as much as it threatens human existence as a whole.
Climate refugees and the human rights system
As we saw in the previous paragraph, due to climate change, many residents are forced to migrate – homelessness – while some of them cross the border in the hope of finding shelter to protect them from the hardship of living. According to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, millions of people cross or they try to cross international borders, especially those living in sub-Saharan Africa, with the aim of reaching European countries to escape rampant hunger, and many of them arrive in miserable conditions, unable to walk or even stand due to extreme weakness, and suffer from chronic nutritional deficiency. Not to mention those who died on the way.
Armed conflicts as an indirect effect of climate change
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the main reason for the high levels of food insecurity lies in three factors that may sometimes overlap: armed conflicts, economic crises, and profound climate changes, especially the long waves of drought that affect some countries, especially Mentioning Nigeria, as a result of a conflict that has been raging for years between livestock herders and farmers, more than 60,000 people have been killed in the last 15 years. This conflict is only an example of many conflicts that erupt between farmers in African countries whose economies as a whole are based on natural resources.
In the same context, the Director of the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, Mr. Dan Smit, stressed the connection between climate change and security, saying in this regard that: “The effects of climate change contribute, along with social, economic and political factors, to creating conditions in which conflicts erupt.
Also, among the effects of climate change we find the militarization of water resource centres. Due to the change in the availability of water resources – the scarcity of resources and the difficulty of accessing them – as a result of climate change, it has also led to the use of water as a weapon by states and non-governmental actors. The Zionist entity of Israel after the Oct 7 incident is using fresh drinking water resources as a weapon against the Palestinian civilians even if it is against the international war norms.
Conclusion and Suggestions
From the above, we conclude that climate change is a social, economic, security and humanitarian issue, with serious impacts on human rights, directly and indirectly at the individual and collective levels, that its negative impacts are distributed unequally, as they have a disproportionate impact on the poorest regions and countries. Its effects extend beyond current generations to even affect the rights of subsequent generations. If anything, this indicates the importance of addressing human rights threats resulting from climate change and the need to take appropriate measures consistent with comprehensive human rights objectives.
Countries must take immediate action to mitigate climate change in accordance with the Paris Agreement in order to prevent its effects from worsening.
Strengthening international mechanisms – similar to the Warsaw Mechanism – and national ones to monitor, document, follow up and protect those affected by climate change, whether displaced or refugees.
Establish early warning systems and tools, prevention and preparedness mechanisms regarding internal and cross-border displacement.
Building the technical and implementation capacities of national institutions to develop prevention and response strategies.
Issuing an international instrument that recognizes the role of climate change in pushing people to move across borders.
Increasing the effectiveness of mitigation and adaptation measures to climate change, through sharing experiences between countries.
Prosecuting countries violating international environmental law due to the serious harm they cause to human rights, which we believe amount to crimes against humanity.
Ali Reza SK hailing from West Bengal, is a Research Scholar pursuing P.G at Darul Huda Islamic University, Kerala in Civilizational Studies.
[[1]] United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), art. 1, para. 2. The Intergovernmental
[[2]] https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2023-24
[[3]] https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-economic-social-and-cultural-rights
[[4]] IPCC AR4 Synthesis Report, p. 48.
[[5]] Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific, Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2019 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.19.II.F.9), p. 2
[[6]] The World Bank, “Poverty overview” (www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview).
[[7]] United Nations Development Program: Human Development Report issued in 2006, p. 3.
[[8]] Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, ONU.HABITAT, World Health Organization: “The Right to Water” Fact Sheet, No. 35, United Nations, Geneva, September 2012, p. 1.
[[9]] IPCC AR4 Synthesis Report, pp. 48-49.
[[10]] Article (11) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
[[11]] Article (38) of the Arab Charter on Human Rights
[[12]] Report of the Representative of the Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Al64l214, issued in 2009, p. 4.
