Dennis Jarvis (2011)
CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Changing precipitation patterns and higher temperatures can adversely affect food production in many parts of the world, such as Vietnam, where
adaptation measures will be needed to protect food security and agricultural livelihoods.
extreme weather events, and the corresponding impacts on human health, water supply, ecosystems, natural
resources, crops, and physical structures. Rural areas are also uniquely vulnerable to the effects of climate change
due to: (i) a greater dependence on agriculture and natural resources, such as fisheries and forests; and (ii) existing
vulnerabilities caused by poverty, lower levels of education, physical isolation, and neglect by policymakers.33 Rural
areas in developing countries face the most significant risks due to their geographical location (where climate
change impacts are projected to be most severe), lack of adaptive capacity, and heavy reliance on agriculture and
natural resources.34
Affected rights: right to life, right to health, right to housing, right to food, right to water and sanitation, right
to an adequate standard of living, right to property.
(iii) Key Economic Sectors and Services
Climate change will affect a variety of economic sectors and services, including energy, water services, transport,
agriculture and livestock, forestry, fisheries, tourism, and insurance. Food production systems, water supply systems,
and other sectors and services that rely on natural resources in their supply chain are particularly vulnerable to
the impacts of climate change.35 Electricity systems will also be affected, both through direct climactic impacts
(e.g., higher temperatures, lower water supply) and through increased demand for electricity, both of which can
compromise electric grid reliability.36
33
34
35
36
6
Id. at 618.
Id. at 631.
Id. at 674, 676.
Id. at 664-672.
T H E H U M A N R I G H T S I M P L I C AT I O N S O F C L I M AT E C H A N G E