Human Rights Archives - State of the Planet

protest against wind farm development in Oaxaca

Mining, Land Grabs, and More: When Decarbonization Conflicts With Human Rights

Transitioning off fossil fuels isn’t all sunshine and roses. Experts from around Columbia Climate School weigh in on how governments and developers can move forward responsibly.

by |September 22, 2022
statue in front of Supreme Federal Court Building in Brasília

Advancements in Climate Rights in Courts Around the World

Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in West Virginia. v. EPA, rulings in other countries demonstrate that courts worldwide remain an important forum for potentially advancing climate rights.

by Maria Antonia Tigre |July 6, 2022

Just Climate Change Action: The Importance and Challenges of Centering Indigenous Wisdom and Perspectives

Indigenous communities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, leading the way for innovative actions rooted in first-hand experiences of climate disasters and shifts, and knowledge transferred across generations.

Renewable Energy Poses a Serious Threat to Human Rights — But It Doesn’t Have To

A conversation on the critical need for embedding human rights, especially those of indigenous communities, within the renewable energy sector, and the hurdles of pursuing environmental justice without compromising human rights.

Mining pollution turns river red

Mining Pollution Limits Access to Clean Water in Papua New Guinea

A new report documents the social, environmental, economic, and health impacts of gold mining in Porgera, Papua New Guinea.

Members of the Japan Family Farmers’ Movement showing their support of peasant rights

UN Resolution Would Protect Land and Water Rights of Rural People

This proposed declaration includes a number of rights, and specifically mentions that water resources in mountain ecosystems should be protected against pollution from mining activities.

by |October 5, 2018
prison bars

We Aren’t Doing Enough to Protect Prisoners During Natural Disasters

When disaster strikes, prisoners’ rights are often forgotten about. A new paper recommends changes that can help protect them.

Is There a Human Right to Land?

For people around the world, land is a source of food, shelter, and livelihoods. Given their importance, land rights are surely human rights—right?

Uncovering Impacts of Gold Mining in Papua New Guinea

From late December 2015 through January, a team of Earth Institute scientists and human rights lawyers from Columbia University worked in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to deliver the results of an independent study of water quality and human rights to the indigenous communities living near an industrial gold mine.

by |February 5, 2016

A Human Right to Water – Can it Make a Difference?

Despite the UN’s 2010 resolution on the human right to water, debate continues over how useful a rights approach really is. Even if we identify water as a human right, where the state is the principal duty-bearer, will it improve access to water for communities in need?

by |July 27, 2011