Those affected by climate change must have their voices heard

Climate change has human rights implications as it affects lives, livelihoods, shelter and the environment, the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Head of Human Rights has said.

Dr Purna Sen, speaking at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, on 24 November 2009, cited the cases of Maldives and Tuvalu, which face the threat of being submerged in a matter of decades due to global warming.

“What would happen to the people living in low-lying countries that are prone to the effects of climate change such as flooding? Where would they go, these ‘environmental refugees’?”

Dr Sen also highlighted the plight of indigenous people who claim a primal and deep relationship with their environment that is threatened with degradation brought about by climate change.

“Those people most affected by the changes to their way of life, their access to food and water, and their survival in the face of climate change, are yet to adequately have their voices heard or their concerns addressed,” she said.

Dr Sen also stressed that the human costs of climate change brought about by the damage done to the environment and the planet by human beings should command greater attention.

“The vulnerable communities would be the hardest hit – like the poor, women and indigenous peoples, the disabled – they would bear the brunt of the adverse impacts of climate change. Their human rights are being challenged by climate change – their rights to food, work, health, security are being violated. For some, their right to nationality is being threatened when their island states are submerged with the rise in sea levels.”

A rights-based approach will enable affected populations to have the opportunities to be heard and to influence responses and actions that can mitigate the effects of climate change that could transform some communities into becoming endangered species on planet Earth.

Key Links:

• Human Rights
• Country Profile: Trinidad and Tobago