Climate change impacts human rights, poor suffer most: NHRC chief

NHRC chairperson Justice Arun Mishra on Tuesday said climate change impacts human rights in a big way and the poorest of the poor suffer the most.

He was addressing a session on 'Empowering those most affected by Climate Change' at the NHRI COP28 Symposium organised by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) in Dubai.

There is a need for a safeguard information system for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, Mishra said.

Climate change impacts human rights in a big way, with melting polar ice, rising sea levels, increased drought, high-density rainfalls, cyclones, floods, landslides and forest fires, and the poorest of the poor suffer the most, the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said.

Besides other stakeholders, National Human Rights Institutions have to work to protect the environment and address the needs of people impacted by climate change-induced displacements resulting in violation of human rights, including the rights to shelter, livelihood, education and health, Mishra said.

He said that besides war, climate change is one of the leading causes of migration. Transition to climate-resilient infrastructure and mitigation measures are also essential for the survival of humanity, Mishra said.

The NHRC chief said air and water pollution is reducing human life span and added that vanishing water bodies due to large-scale construction, depleting water levels, and contaminated groundwater are also issues of serious concern.

"Industrial hazards like gas leakage have now become commonplace incidents. Plastic has seriously threatened environmental pollution on the earth and the seas endangering biodiversity. The plastic patch in the ocean reportedly is 20 times larger than the size of France. Therefore, plastic recycling is required," he stressed.