Frequently Asked Questions on Human Rights and Climate Change
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UNCCD Library
The Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) advocates for urgent and ambitious climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as a rights-based approach to climate action. This includes effective international cooperation based on the principles of equity, accountability, inclusiveness, transparency, equality and non-discrimination. State parties to the Paris Agreement have recognized the importance of human rights in climate action, agreeing “to respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights” when taking climate action. The present fact sheet aims to promote better policies for both people and the planet by improving understanding of the threat climate change poses to human rights and the resulting human rights obligations of States and other duty bearers.
A snapshot of key climate change impacts on human rights
• The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that, between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths each year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress alone.4
• According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), climate change is causing extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters, depriving millions of people around the world of a livelihood. The nearly 78 per cent of the world’s poor – approximately 800 million people – who live in rural areas, many of whom rely on agriculture, forestry and fisheries for their survival, are particularly affected.5
• Without urgent action, climate change impacts could push an additional 100 million people into poverty by 2030, according to the World Bank.
•More than 2 billion people are currently living in countries with high water stress.7 Almost twice as many could be affected by 2050.8
• The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that, by 2040, one in four children – around 600 million – will be living in areas of extremely high water stress.9
• Extreme weather events were one of the main causes of the internal displacement of 28 million people in 2018, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.1
A snapshot of key climate change impacts on human rights
• The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that, between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths each year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress alone.4
• According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), climate change is causing extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters, depriving millions of people around the world of a livelihood. The nearly 78 per cent of the world’s poor – approximately 800 million people – who live in rural areas, many of whom rely on agriculture, forestry and fisheries for their survival, are particularly affected.5
• Without urgent action, climate change impacts could push an additional 100 million people into poverty by 2030, according to the World Bank.
•More than 2 billion people are currently living in countries with high water stress.7 Almost twice as many could be affected by 2050.8
• The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that, by 2040, one in four children – around 600 million – will be living in areas of extremely high water stress.9
• Extreme weather events were one of the main causes of the internal displacement of 28 million people in 2018, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.1
Keywords
human rights
climate change
facts and figures
knowledge exchange
poverty
migration