The Intersection of Climate Change and Human Rights: What Needs to Change

Climate change is not just about the environment. It has its roots in the same systems that proliferate human rights violations.

This complex interplay results in already-vulnerable populations further lacking access to food, water, healthcare, and shelter.
We see this most prominently in regions like the Sub-Sahara and the Caribbean, which are some of the poorest in the Global South.

Let’s look at how climate change and human rights are intertwined in more detail.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Economic experts estimate that Africa loses between $7 billion and $15 billion annually due to climate change. 

However, projections suggest these losses could rise to $50 billion per year by 2030, worsening economic instability across the continent.

Why Is This Happening?

With the Sahara Desert being the largest hot desert in the world, the people who live in or close to it are among the most affected by global warming.

Since many of these people lead rural, agricultural lives, heavily dependent on rainfall, they are extremely vulnerable to droughts, extreme weather, and food shortages. 

However, they are also some of the least equipped to cope with natural disasters due to limited infrastructure and resources.

Colonialism’s Lasting Impact on Food Security

Their already precarious food security is both caused and continuously worsened by poverty—poverty that can be traced back to European colonialism.

During the colonial period—beginning in the 1400s for West Africa and lasting into the late 20th century—we saw not only one of the worst human rights violations in history through the transatlantic slave trade, but also the widescale exploitation of African natural resources.

Neocolonialism and Corporate Exploitation

Despite formal colonialism ending in much of Africa by the 1960s-1980s, neocolonialism is still practiced today. 

Multinational corporations from former colonizers continue to extract and deplete African resources through unsustainable mining and deforestation.

These exploitative industries often profit from cheap local labor—further suppressing already oppressed working-class communities.

Political Instability and Systemic Oppression

This long and ongoing history of subjugation and resource exploitation has fueled decades of political instability and violence in the region.

Wars, terrorism, and political oppression persist, while women and LGBTQ+ individuals lack fundamental rights. Many political activists are forced to try VPN services to stay anonymous online—or risk getting shot down by corrupt governments.

The Consequences: Poverty, Corruption, and Environmental Degradation

The outcome? Sub-Saharan African countries remain trapped in a cycle of poverty, government corruption, and environmental degradation, all of which exacerbate the effects of climate change.

The Caribbean

Similar patterns emerge in the Caribbean, but instead of desertification, rising sea levels and hurricanes pose an existential threat.

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season saw a record-breaking 30 named storms, surpassing the previous high of 28 storms in 2005. These hurricanes continue to devastate education, healthcare systems, and local economies.

The Risks to Coastal Communities and Agriculture

In the long term, these disasters will force coastal communities, many of whom are already poor and unemployed, to lose their homes and land to rising seas.

Saltwater intrusion will also contaminate freshwater sources, threatening local agriculture, food production, and drinking water supplies.

Additionally, longer dry seasons and shorter wet seasons are already being observed, worsening these problems.

Colonial Legacies and Economic Struggles

Haiti’s Burden of Colonial Debt

Like Africa, the Caribbean was colonized by European empires. Many of these nations are still recovering from colonial exploitation, even centuries later.

A prime example is Haiti, which, after gaining independence from France in 1804, was forced to pay a 150 million franc indemnity in 1825—an amount later reduced to 90 million francs in 1838. 

This debt, which Haiti was still repaying into the 20th century, drained its economy and stifled its development, making it less resilient to climate change today.

Cuba’s Economic Restrictions

Cuba, another former colony—first under Spain and later under U.S. influence—has suffered from a U.S. trade embargo since 1962. This embargo was intensified by the Helms-Burton Act of 1996, further restricting Cuba’s ability to develop economically.

Unemployment and Homelessness: Barriers to Climate Resilience

Even today, many Caribbean nations experience high unemployment and homelessness, leaving their populations vulnerable and unable to adequately prepare for climate-related disasters.

International Protections: A Pressing Need

Climate change and human rights are global challenges that demand a coordinated international response. However, existing international frameworks remain insufficient.

For example, there is no universally accepted definition or legal status for “climate refugees.” This leaves millions of displaced individuals without proper protections under international law.

Developed nations must take the lead for three main reasons:

1. They have the power and resources to commit to long-term climate change solutions.
2. They lead the world in greenhouse gas emissions—and yet, smaller, poorer countries suffer the most.
3. As former colonizers, they played key roles in the economic and political instability still affecting many developing nations.

Climate Justice Beyond Financial Aid

Developed countries have a moral and legal responsibility to address the damage they have done—and are still doing.

While financial aid, technology transfer, and capacity-building are important, they are only surface-level solutions. True climate justice requires deeper structural reforms.

The Problem with Conditional Financial Assistance

Too often, financial aid comes with exploitative conditions. 

Many loans from wealthier nations and institutions contain provisions that allow multinational corporations to exploit local labor and natural resources, ultimately benefiting developed nations at the expense of poorer countries.

Centering the Voices of Affected Nations

The voices of developing nations must be elevated and given equal representation on the global stage.

Massive historical injustices have led to a vicious cycle—where climate change, poverty, and political instability reinforce one another, making it increasingly difficult to uphold human rights today.

Without serious intervention and international collaboration, developing countries will continue to lack the infrastructure needed to withstand climate change’s devastating effects.

Only by addressing the root causes of this crisis—colonial legacies, economic inequality, and environmental destruction—can we create a truly equitable and effective global response to climate change.