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	Climate change will fuel greater displacement by Alexandra Bilak Director, Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre   Mar. 2022   For the first time, there is high confidence among scientists that the impacts of climate change are increasingly driving displacement in all regions of the world. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) latest report recognises that climate change is one of several multi-dimensional factors contributing to forced movement today, and that “peace and mobility” are at significant risk from its effects. Without global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and better adapt to the effects of climate change, say the authors, the number of people displaced will grow in the coming decades.   The past several years have been some of the warmest on record, with above-average rainfall, unusually active storm seasons and devastating wildfires. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), whose data and analysis feature in the report, measured 30 million displacements triggered by extreme weather in 2020. In recent weeks, thousands of families have been uprooted as Brazil suffered catastrophic flash flooding and landslides, and Madagascar was hit by four tropical storms in as many weeks. Climate change will make natural events such as these more frequent and more intense in the future.   Some people are able to return home after a short time to recover and rebuild, others remain displaced for months or years, or never return home at all. Two years after Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique, for example, more than 120,000 people are still homeless. While most stay within their countries and don’t cross a border, the impacts of climate change touch every region, so it is a global challenge that must be addressed collectively.   The most vulnerable can become trapped in a vicious cycle whereby the effects of climate change erode resilience to withstand natural hazards or environmental stressors, pushing people into displacement, which further amplifies their vulnerability.   Responding to these risks will not only require concerted efforts to reduce emissions and limit global warming, but also sustainable investments in the countries most affected to help prevent and respond to displacement in the face of a changing climate.   Fragile or developing states, which have often contributed the least to global warming, bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change, so it is right that they are financially supported. Industrialised countries must honour their promise to provide $100bn annually to support mitigation and adaptation measures in developing countries, a commitment that is yet to materialise.   While the costs of displacement are not explicitly accounted for, a fund to cover “loss and damage” failed to garner sufficient support and Scotland was the only nation at last year’s COP26 in Glasgow to pledge anything towards compensation. Greater commitments must be made across the board at the upcoming COP27 in Egypt, and the world will be watching.   With flexible and predictable investment, local, adaptive and sustainable measures can be developed. Urban planning, land reform, resilient infrastructure, disaster defences and early warning systems, for instance, can all help to reduce vulnerability and avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and lives.   Identifying alternative means of making a living that are not reliant on the land could prevent future forced migration but when disasters or climate impacts render a place unsafe or unhabitable, planned relocation or resettlement may be the only suitable options.   A 2021 report commissioned by the Platform on Disaster Displacement found that planned relocation is a global phenomenon occurring in all regions of the world. Multiple hazards and diverse drivers prompt decisions to relocate, according to the report, but around two-thirds of cases surveyed were linked to climate-related hazards.   Given present trends in sea-level rise, the number of communities requiring assisted relocation or resettlement to another country will grow significantly in the years to come. These approaches must include participation from the people at risk and be led by strong local governance. In a world made more isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic, investment in locally owned solutions will be more important than ever.   The world is waking up to the threat of climate change for the planet but the challenges of human mobility in this context require far greater global attention if years of hard-won development progress are not to be lost. To build a strong case, we need a strong evidence base.   IDMC, for our part, will continue to monitor the phenomenon and highlight best practices around the world. I also use this opportunity to call for a dedicated IPCC report on the link between climate change, forced migration and displacement. A scientific investigation into how climate change interacts with other social, economic and political factors to influence human mobility is necessary to lay the foundations of effective action and sustainable investment.   Solutions exist but more reliable and robust data is needed to focus our actions. The number of people forced to flee, their conditions, needs and aspirations, the duration and severity of their displacement and the risk of future forced movement must all be better quantified so that governments and the international community can plan and respond accordingly.   As we look ahead to COP27 later in the year, when leaders will be given a final chance to act before it’s too late, we hope that this report inspires urgent, renewed commitment. As the authors conclude: “The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human well-being and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future.”   http://www.internal-displacement.org/media-centres/science-warns-us-that-climate-change-will-drive-more-people-from-their-homes-so-what http://www.internal-displacement.org/publications/addressing-internal-displacement-in-the-context-of-climate-change http://www.unicef.org/globalinsight/reports/guiding-principles-children-move-context-climate-change http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/walking-into-the-eye-of-the-storm-how-the-climate-crisis-is-driving-child-migration-and-displacement/ http://reliefweb.int/report/world/climate-displacement-litigation-navigating-human-rights-landscape-global-review http://reliefweb.int/report/world/resilience-move-migrations-powerful-role-creating-climate-resilience http://reliefweb.int/report/burkina-faso/human-rights-climate-change-and-migration-sahel http://www.unhcr.org/spotlight/2021/12/on-the-frontlines-of-the-global-displacement-crisis-in-2021/ http://www.ipcc.ch/2022/02/28/pr-wgii-ar6/ http://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-ii/ Visit the related web page
	Exposure to toxic substances raises the risks of premature death by WHO, OHCHR, The Lancet, agencies Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment   Air pollution is a major environmental threat and one of the main cases of death among all risk factors.   The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, globally, air pollution is responsible for about 7 million premature deaths per year from ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer, but also from acute respiratory infections such as pneumonia which mainly affects children in low- and middle-income countries.   Being recognized as one of the main risk factors for Non-Communicable Diseases, a growing and consistent body of evidence shows that air pollution health effects also include preterm and low-birthweight, asthma as well as cognitive and neurological impairment basically having the potential to impact our whole body, way beyond our lungs.   Particulate Matter Pollution comes in many sizes and can be made up of hundreds of different chemicals. Particle pollution includes inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10 micrometers and smaller; and fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller.   Particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter can get deep into your lungs and enter your bloodstream, particles less than 2.5 micrometers also known as fine particles pose a serious risk to human health.   Particulate Matter Pollution can be emitted directly from a source, such as construction sites, unpaved roads, smokestacks or fires. Most particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which are pollutants emitted from power plants, industries and motor vehicles.   Accurately measuring particulate air pollution levels, providing adequate public health warnings, regulating major sources of air pollution are among the measures taken to address air pollution. Policies and investments supporting cleaner transport, energy efficient homes, power generation, industry and better municipal waste management would reduce key sources of outdoor air pollution.   Aug. 2023   Air Pollution and its threat to Health are unequally spread throughout the World. (AQLI)   As global pollution edged upward in 2021, so did its burden on human health, according to new data from the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI).   If the world were to permanently reduce fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guideline, the average person could add 2.3 years onto their life expectancy—or a combined 17.8 billion life-years saved worldwide.   The data makes clear that particulate pollution remains one of the world’s greatest external risks to human health. Yet, the pollution challenge worldwide is vastly unequal.   “Three-quarters of air pollution’s worst impact on global life expectancy occurs in just six countries, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, Nigeria and Indonesia, where people lose one to more than six years off their lives because of the air they breathe,” says Michael Greenstone, Professor in Economics at the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).   “For the last five years, the AQLI’s local information on air quality and its health consequences has generated substantial media and political coverage, but there is an opportunity to complement this annual information with more frequent daily and locally generated data.”   Many polluted countries lack basic air pollution infrastructure. Asia and Africa are the two most poignant examples. They contribute 92.7 percent of life years lost due to pollution. Yet, just 6.8 and 3.7 percent of governments in Asia and Africa, respectively, provide their citizens with fully open air quality data. Further, just 35.6 and 4.9 percent of countries in Asia and Africa, respectively, have air quality standards—the most basic building block for policies. The current investments in global air quality infrastructure does not match its toll on human life.   “Timely, reliable, open air quality data in particular can be the backbone of civil society and government clean air efforts—providing the information that people and governments lack and that allows for more informed policy decisions,” says Christa Hasenkopf, the director of AQLI and air quality programs at EPIC.   South Asia   In no other location on the planet is the deadly impact of pollution more visible than in South Asia, home to the four most polluted countries in the world and nearly a quarter of the global population.   In Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, the AQLI data reveal that residents are expected to lose about 5 years off their lives on average if the current high levels of pollution persist, and more in the most polluted regions. In the densely populated New Delhi, the world’s most polluted megacity, the average life span is down by more than 10 years.   China   Although the challenge of reducing air pollution across the world may seem daunting, China has had remarkable success, reducing pollution by 42.3 percent since 2013, the year before the country began a “war against pollution.” Due to these improvements, the average Chinese citizen can expect to live 2.2 years longer, provided the reductions are sustained. However, the pollution in China is still six times higher than the WHO guideline, taking 2.5 years off life expectancy.   Southeast Asia   Like South Asia, almost all of Southeast Asia (99.9 percent) is now considered to have unsafe levels of pollution, with pollution increasing in a single year by as much as 25 percent in some regions. Residents living in the most polluted parts of Southeast Asia are expected to lose 2 to 3 years of life expectancy on average.   Central and West Africa   While Asian countries rightly receive the most media coverage about extreme levels of air pollution, the African countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Republic of Congo are amongst the ten most polluted countries in the world. In the most polluted areas of these regions, pollution levels are 12 times the WHO guideline and taking as much as 5.4 years off lives—becoming as much of a health threat as well-known killers in the region like HIV/AIDS and malaria.   Latin America   While average air quality is at an unsafe but relatively low level across the region, the most polluted areas—located within Guatemala, Bolivia, and Peru—experience air quality similar to pollution hotspots like Pune, India and Harbin, China. In these regions, the average resident would gain 3 to 4.4 years of life expectancy if their air quality met the WHO guideline.   United States   In the United States, Americans are exposed to 64.9 percent less particulate pollution than in 1970—prior to the passage of the Clean Air Act—and they’re living 1.4 years longer because of it. Yet, 96 percent of the country still doesn’t meet the WHO guideline. In 2021, 20 out of the top 30 most polluted counties were in California due to the impact of wildfires.   Europe   In Europe, residents are exposed to about 23.5 percent less pollution than they were in 1998, soon after the Air Quality Framework Directive started, gaining 4.5 months of life expectancy because of it. Yet, 98.4 percent of Europe still doesn’t meet the WHO guideline. Residents in eastern Europe are living 7.2 months less than their western neighbors due to dirtier air.   http://aqli.epic.uchicago.edu/reports/ http://www.un.org/en/observances/clean-air-day/messages http://www.who.int/teams/environment-climate-change-and-health/air-quality-and-health/health-impacts http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/09/global-heatwaves-are-worsening-air-pollution-underscoring-the-urgent-need-to-phase-out-fossil-fuels/ http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/nov/16/from-cholera-to-kidney-disease-10-ways-the-climate-crisis-is-wrecking-peoples-lives-acc http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/reporting-state-climate-2022 http://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/climate-change-undermines-nearly-all-sustainable-development-goals   Sep. 2023   Systematic pollution of freshwater affects the human right to water for billions of people worldwide. (OHCHR)   The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water has urged Governments and all actors, including the private sector, to make “peace with our rivers” to ensure access to safe drinking water and sanitation for two billion people worldwide.   In his report to the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation noted that the contamination of aquatic ecosystems with heavy metals and other toxics from legal and illegal mining and other production activities continues to increase on all continents. People living in poverty, near polluted freshwater sources are most vulnerable, he said.   “Wetlands, rivers, and lakes are the backbone of life on islands and continents,” the Special Rapporteur said. “For centuries, underground aquifers have been the natural water supply network for human settlements – the water lungs of nature,” he said.   “I am deeply concerned that over-exploitation, land grabbing, and toxic contamination of aquatic ecosystems threatens the sustainability of freshwater resources and the human rights of billions of people,” Arrojo-Agudo said.   The expert urged the international community to introduce a specific crime to punish the systematic toxic pollution of aquatic ecosystems that poisons hundreds of millions of people and hold perpetrators accountable.   Arrojo-Agudo said the root cause of the crisis lies in the unsustainability of the current development model, which is based on the paradigm of domination over nature. He called for a new model of environmental regeneration based on sustainability and a human rights-based approach to water governance.   “Biological, organic and nutrient pollution kills 1.8 million people a year from diarrhoea alone,” he said. “The recognition of the human right to a healthy and sustainable environment, the promotion of integrated ecosystem approaches and the acceptance of the rights of nature pave the way for a more sustainable future,” the expert said.   “Restoring and conserving aquatic ecosystems is critical to fulfilling the human right to water and sanitation for all,” he said.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/09/systematic-pollution-freshwater-affects-human-right-water-billions-people   June 2023   UN experts warn of “toxic tidal wave” as plastic pollutes environment and threatens human rights. (OHCHR)   The world must beat the toxic tidal wave of plastic pollution that threatens human rights, UN experts said today, urging States and other stakeholders to put rights at the centre of the international treaty on plastic pollution currently under negotiation. Ahead of World Environment Day, they issued the following joint statement:   “Plastic production has increased exponentially over recent decades and today the world is generating 400 million tonnes of plastic waste yearly.   All stages of the plastics cycle have adverse impacts on human rights. We are in the middle of an overwhelming toxic tidal wave as plastic pollutes our environment and negatively impacts human rights in a myriad of ways over its life cycle.   For example, plastic production releases hazardous substances and almost exclusively relies on fossil fuels, while plastic itself contains toxic chemicals, posing serious risks and harms to human health, human rights and the environment. At the end of its life as a consumer good, plastic waste pollutes our planet, with 85% of single use plastics sent to landfills or dumped in the environment. False and misleading solutions, such as incineration or recycling of toxics-laden plastics, aggravate the plastic threat.   Plastic, microplastic and the hazardous substances they contain can be found in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe.   While everyone is affected by the negative human rights impacts of plastic, the level of exposure to plastic-related pollution and waste affects marginalised communities the most. We are particularly concerned about groups suffering from environmental injustices due to heightened exposure to plastic pollution, many of them living in 'sacrifice zones'.   The contribution of plastic pollution to climate change is alarming, yet often overlooked. For instance, plastic particles found in oceans limit the ability of marine ecosystems to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.   It is shocking to witness how the omnipresence of plastics impacts human rights in many different ways, including the rights to a healthy environment, life, health, food, water and an adequate standard of living.   States and businesses have specific human rights obligations which apply in the context of the fight against plastics pollution.   Over the last two years, the United Nations Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly adopted landmark resolutions recognising the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, which includes non-toxic environments where people can live, work, study and play. This should prompt and guide initiatives addressing plastic pollution.   There is an urgent need to prioritise reduction in production and use of plastic, detoxification and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.   We note the discussions taking place by member States towards a comprehensive and internationally binding instrument on plastic pollution and urge its completion by the end of 2024. It is essential that States and other stakeholders employ a human rights-based approach to beat plastic pollution.”   *The experts: David Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment; Marcos Orellana, UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/06/un-experts-warn-toxic-tidal-wave-plastic-pollutes-environment-and-threatens http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2021/10/plastic-pandemic-time-running-out-prevent-human-rights-tragedy-un-expert   Exposure to toxic substances raises the risks of premature death, by David Boyd - Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment   The toxification of planet Earth is intensifying - pollution and toxic substances cause at least 9 million premature deaths a year.   As Earth becomes increasingly poisoned by toxic substances and pollution, a UN human rights expert is calling for urgent and ambitious action to curb exposures to the deadly substances, prevent pollution and rehabilitate contaminated sites.   David Boyd, the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, said in a report presented to the Human Rights Council today that each year pollution and toxic substances cause at least 9 million premature deaths.   “They also raise the risks of cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory illnesses, adverse effects on the immune, endocrine and reproductive systems, birth defects and lifelong negative impacts on neurological development,” he said.   “Yet, hundreds of millions of tons of toxic substances continue to be released into air, water and soil annually. Pollution and toxic substances affect the enjoyment of many human rights, especially the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, but also the rights to life, health, water, food, housing, and an adequate standard of living.”   Boyd said the burden of contamination falls disproportionately on the shoulders of individuals and communities already enduring poverty, discrimination and systemic marginalization.   “The disturbing phenomenon of being more heavily affected by pollution is called environmental injustice,” he said. “Poor and marginalized communities are less likely to have access to environmental information, to participate in environmental decision-making or to have access to justice and effective remedies when their rights are jeopardized or violated.   “It is deeply distressing to see that clusters of the most heavily polluting and hazardous facilities, such as open-pit mines, smelters, petroleum refineries, chemical plants and garbage dumps tend to be located near these disadvantaged communities.”   Boyd said some areas have even been described as “sacrifice zones”, where communities suffer from extreme exposure to pollution and toxic substances. The Special Rapporteur’s report highlights more than 60 sacrifice zones from all regions of the world, communities whose inhabitants are often exploited, traumatized and stigmatized.   “While it is encouraging that there are good practices in both preventing future environmental injustices and remediating some sacrifice zones, many disturbing situations and related human rights violations remain unaddressed,” he said.   “Achieving a non-toxic environment is a human rights obligation, not an option. The recent recognition of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment by the Human Rights Council should mark a turning point in society’s approach to pollution and toxic substances.   “The creation of sacrifice zones must be prevented and urgent action must be taken to prevent pollution, remediate contaminated sites, and provide medical treatment in such zones,” Boyd said.   The UN expert urged States and businesses to vigorously pursue zero pollution and the elimination of toxic substances. Prevention, precaution and non-discrimination must be the paramount principles in environmental policymaking, he added.   “A human rights-based approach to preventing exposure to pollution and toxic chemicals could save millions of lives, improve the quality of life for billions of people and save trillions of dollars,” he said.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/03/polluted-planet-un-expert-urges-ambitious-urgent-action-tackle-human-rights   May 2022   Pollution and health - The Lancet Planetary Health   The Lancet Commission on pollution and health reported that pollution was responsible for 9 million premature deaths in 2015, making it the world's largest environmental risk factor for disease and premature death. We have now updated this estimate using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019. We find that pollution remains responsible for approximately 9 million deaths per year, corresponding to one in six deaths worldwide.   Reductions have occurred in the number of deaths attributable to the types of pollution associated with extreme poverty. However, these reductions in deaths from household air pollution and water pollution are offset by increased deaths attributable to ambient air pollution and toxic chemical pollution (ie, lead). Deaths from these modern pollution risk factors, which are the unintended consequence of industrialisation and urbanisation, have risen by 7% since 2015 and by over 66% since 2000.   Despite ongoing efforts by UN agencies, committed groups, committed individuals, and some national governments (mostly in high-income countries), little real progress against pollution can be identified overall, particularly in the low-income and middle-income countries, where pollution is most severe.   Prof Philip Landrigan, at Boston College in the US and a lead author of the analysis, said: “Pollution is still the largest existential threat to human and planetary health. Preventing pollution can also slow climate change – achieving a double benefit for planetary health – and our report calls for a massive, rapid transition away from all fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy.”   Awareness of pollution was key, said Richard Fuller, at the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) in Switzerland, another lead author. He said action plans have been presented to 11 national governments to date: “Ministers are just gobsmacked at how big an impact pollution is having in their country.” Measuring pollution and making it public also drives change, he said: “It switches on communities to want to do something and yell and scream at their politicians. Everything can roll from that.”   Urgent attention is needed to control pollution and prevent pollution-related disease, with an emphasis on air pollution and lead poisoning, and a stronger focus on hazardous chemical pollution. Pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss are closely linked. Successful control of these conjoined threats requires a globally supported, formal science–policy interface to inform intervention, influence research, and guide funding.   Pollution has typically been viewed as a local issue to be addressed through subnational and national regulation or, occasionally, using regional policy in higher-income countries. Now, however, it is increasingly clear that pollution is a planetary threat, and that its drivers, its dispersion, and its effects on health transcend local boundaries and demand a global response.   Global action on all major modern pollutants is needed. Global efforts can synergise with other global environmental policy programmes, especially as a large-scale, rapid transition away from all fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy is an effective strategy for preventing pollution while also slowing down climate change, and thus achieves a double benefit for planetary health.   http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00090-0/fulltext http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01797-4/fulltext http://www.unicef-irc.org/places-and-spaces http://insideclimatenews.org/news/17052022/outdoor-air-pollution-health/ http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/17/pollution-responsible-one-in-six-deaths-across-planet http://www.who.int/news/item/04-04-2022-billions-of-people-still-breathe-unhealthy-air-new-who-data
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