Solicitud de Opinión Consultiva Emergencia climática y derechos humanos

The Global Climate & Health Alliance (GCHA) argues that climate change is a critical threat to public health in Latin America and the Caribbean, exacerbating inequalities and violating human rights. The document details specific health impacts—including heat-related deaths, respiratory issues from wildfires and air pollution, and the spread of vector-borne diseases like dengue—while highlighting the vulnerability of indigenous peoples, children, and the elderly. It asserts that states have legal obligations under the American Convention on Human Rights and the Paris Agreement to prevent climate-related health harms. The GCHA recommends a transition away from fossil fuels, the elimination of 'sacrifice zones,' and the implementation of sustainable land management and urban design to achieve health and climate co-benefits.

• Climate change significantly impacts public health in Latin America and the Caribbean, with extreme temperatures causing nearly 900,000 deaths in major cities between 2002 and 2015.
• Wildfires in the Amazon and other regions of Latin America cause approximately 3,400 deaths and disproportionately affect indigenous populations, who face double the mortality rate from smoke compared to non-indigenous populations in South America.
• Air pollution, primarily driven by fossil fuels, is linked to over 320,000 premature deaths annually in the Americas and represents an economic impact of 3.4% of the region's GDP.
• Climate suitability for dengue transmission increased by 35.3% between 2012 and 2021 compared to 1951-1960, with cases in the Americas rising from 1.5 million in the 1980s to 16.2 million in the 2010-2019 period.
• Industrial 'sacrifice zones,' such as Quintero in Chile, are associated with severe health outcomes including cancer, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and increased infant mortality.
• Climate-induced migration is severe in the Caribbean; for example, Hurricane Maria caused the displacement of up to 27.3% of Dominica's total population and cost 260% of its annual GDP.
• Despite being considered progressive, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of Chile and Colombia are rated as 'insufficient' by Climate Action Tracker regarding the 1.5°C goal.
• States have a legal 'duty of prevention' under Article 4 of the American Convention on Human Rights to protect citizens from climate threats as part of the fundamental right to life.
• Integrating health into climate policy offers significant co-benefits: reducing fossil fuel emissions improves air quality, while sustainable agriculture protects nutrition and reduces cardiovascular diseases.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (2023). Solicitud de Opinión Consultiva Emergencia climática y derechos humanos. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ESP-Amicus-curiae-GCHA-IHR-Court-Dec-18-1.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. Solicitud de Opinión Consultiva Emergencia climática y derechos humanos. 2023. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ESP-Amicus-curiae-GCHA-IHR-Court-Dec-18-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=Solicitud de Opinión Consultiva Emergencia climática y derechos humanos |date=18 December 2023 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ESP-Amicus-curiae-GCHA-IHR-Court-Dec-18-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalclimateandhealthalliance2023solicitud, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{Solicitud de Opinión Consultiva Emergencia climática y derechos humanos}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ESP-Amicus-curiae-GCHA-IHR-Court-Dec-18-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }