Climate Justice Campaign
The Issue
Climate change is already impacting people in India, and it is making existing vulnerabilities more acute. The need to view climate change from the lens of social justice is urgent, as the people who have least responsible for the climate crisis are facing the greater brunt of its impact. The effects of climate change disproportionately burden India’s most vulnerable groups including pastoralists, coastal communities, agricultural workers, informal workers such as construction workers and street vendors. These people face the impact of increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related events including heatwaves, drought, severe rainfall and floods, which intensifies their vulnerability and disrupt their livelihoods. These challenges frequently compel affected communities to give up traditional occupations and habitats and migrate, leading to significant and recurrent disruptions in their lives.
Recently the Supreme Court of India reinforced the right of people to be protected from the adverse effects of climate change, also emphasizing the issue of equality for marginalised communities. This judicial affirmation highlights the importance of recognising and supporting frontline communities and socio-ecological rights defenders who are disproportionately affected and critical in leading community-based efforts at mitigating climate impacts.
Addressing climate justice in India involves crafting strategic policies that are people-centric and locally led, with focus on compensation and rehabilitation of affected communities, ensuring that all development projects are sustainable and climate resilient and promote community’s protagonism in building a harmony with ecosystems and nature as a whole. This approach not only addresses the ecological aspects but also the profound socio-economic and cultural challenges aiming to enhance equity and resilience for the nation’s most vulnerable and historically marginalised populations, while building just futures for all.
Focus Communities
Marginalised Groups: Low-income urban populations living in slums, rural poor, and various occupational groups like street vendors, construction workers, and sanitation workers who are directly affected by climate variability.
Traditional and Tribal communities: Tribal communities, pastoralists, and small-scale fisherfolk who rely heavily on natural resources and traditional practices are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts.
Agricultural Workers and Small Farmers: Farmers and agricultural workers face threats from altered weather patterns and increasingly unpredictable water availability which affects their crops and livelihoods.
Women: Women face unique challenges; their roles as primary caregivers and essential resource managers are critical in adaptation strategies, yet they are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change.
Focus Communities
It is important to recognize that the dismal Child-Sex-Ratio (number of girls to every 1000 boys between the age brackets of 0-6 years) is yet another brutal manifestation of the larger system of patriarchy combined with the unbridled culture of greed. However, it is time we moved beyond merely acknowledging this issue. Time has now come to make the government, its institutions even more accountable while also awakening the collective conscience of this society to act upon all forms of injustice.
Objectives
Empower Defenders: Equip human rights and ecological defenders and community leaders with the legal knowledge and skills necessary to advocate for and defend the human rights impacted by climate change. Create Legislative Framework for Climate Justice: Develop comprehensive climate change legislation outlining concrete legal actions and protections to address the human rights impacts of climate change. Protection of Vulnerable Communities: Enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities to climate change by prioritizing their protection through targeted policies and by ensuring equitable access to disaster relief, healthcare, and climate-resilient infrastructure. Community-leadership in People-centered Climate Policy Decision-Making: Enhance community’s role in climate policy decision-making to uphold rights to information, expression, and association. Securing Legal Protections for Vulnerable Communities: Enable vulnerable communities to access the legal resources and avenues that safeguard their rights and interests in the face of negative climate change impacts.
Expected Activities (June – December 2024)
- Community Dialogue and Consenus Building
- Strengthening Community Networks
- Media Engagement
- Strengthening Alliances and Networks at the State and National Levels
- Engagement with People’s Representatives
- Advisory and Expert Support
- Amplify the People’s Demands
- Public Actions
Build a unified community stance on demands for reparations and compensation for climate-induced losses, enhanced protection through amendments to existing climate policy frameworks, the establishment of robust institutional mechanisms to safeguard human rights against climate impacts, and the enactment of comprehensive legislation to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Engage with local civil society groups, youth organizations, and social activists to broaden support and participation in climate action initiatives.
Collaborate with local media to increase awareness of climate issues and the community’s demands. Expand engagement with district and state media to amplify campaign messages and increase public support.
Hold district-level meetings with people’s organizations, civil society, and community leaders to establish district-level committees and forge consensus on campaign demands.
Organize meetings with people’s representatives to present and discuss community demands, raise questions and discussions in legislative assemblies, and propose draft bills for Climate Justice legislation.
Establish a state-level advisory or expert panels to offer technical and strategic guidance to the campaign, particularly aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of amendments to State Climate Action Plans.
Implement diverse, large-scale awareness campaigns to highlight the need for protective measures against the impacts of climate change.
Strengthen community actions on climate justice to amplify people’s voices in widespread support for climate justice and accountability.
How You Can Help
Volunteer: Join our efforts by participating in community dialogues, advocacy campaigns, and awareness programs. Your involvement can make a significant impact on our fight for climate justice.
Donate: Support our initiatives financially to help us provide necessary resources, infrastructure, and relief to vulnerable communities affected by climate change. Your contributions can help us sustain and expand our climate resilience programs. By working together, we can create a more equitable and just future for all. Join us in our Climate Justice Campaign and make a difference today!
