land grabbing
Credit: AnotherToughDayInAfrica/Flickr
Stopping Shell Oil on South Africa’s Wild Coast
Nonhle Mbuthuma, a South African activist, has led her community in successfully challenging major mining and oil projects on their lands, despite ongoing personal threats.
In short:
- Mbuthuma’s Amadiba Crisis Committee has been instrumental in halting a titanium mine and a proposed seismic survey by Shell Oil on South Africa’s Wild Coast.
- The high court ruled that the government’s permit for Shell's seismic blasting was issued unlawfully, citing a lack of community consultation and consideration for local livelihoods.
- Mbuthuma and her community continue to fight against plans for a coastal highway, which they see as a gateway for mining and disruptive tourism.
Key quote:
“Shell is a big company with a lot of money, but we said that they are not bigger than our livelihoods and culture.”
— Nonhle Mbuthuma, Founder of the Amadiba Crisis Committee
Why this matters:
The fight against harmful development along the Wild Coast is emblematic of the broader struggle for environmental justice, where indigenous communities stand at the forefront of protecting biodiversity, cultural heritage, and their way of life. Read more: Climate colonialism at COP26.
Keep reading...Show less
Credit: Christian Ostrosky/Flickr
Argentina's wetlands under threat from new development projects
In Argentina's Paraná delta, known as "Earth's fourth lung," the push for luxury real estate threatens the region's diverse ecosystems and local communities, with private interests prioritizing spas and helipads over environmental and social health.
In short:
- The Paraná delta, a vital environmental and biological reservoir, faces severe threats from overdevelopment, including habitat destruction and pollution.
- Real estate developers are displacing local communities and altering the landscape with luxury homes and gated communities, impacting traditional livelihoods.
- Efforts to protect these wetlands are hampered by stalled legislation in Congress, reflecting a broader undervaluing of wetlands by society and political interests.
Key quote:
"We are the fourth lung of the world. Our delta gives oxygen to the planet, but today, they are damaging it terribly."
— Juan Carlos García, islander and descendant of the Indigenous Guaraní people
Why this matters:
The ongoing conflict in the Paraná delta serves as a microcosm of global environmental challenges, underscoring the need for sustainable development practices that consider health outcomes and preserve ecological integrity. We are reminded once again that in the battle for environmental conservation, "victories" are seldom permanent and forever subject to the politics of the moment.
Keep reading...Show less
Credit: stefanophotographer/Bigstock
Environmental and human rights concerns arise from Chinese-backed nickel mining in Indonesia
A report highlights severe environmental and Indigenous rights violations by a Chinese-backed nickel industrial project in Indonesia, escalating tensions in the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain.
In short:
- The U.S.-based Climate Rights International (CRI) accuses the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park, funded by China, of significant environmental damage and rights abuses in Maluku.
- The report emphasizes the risks of Indonesia's ambition to be a key player in the global EV battery market, highlighting issues of safety, land rights and environmental degradation.
- Concerns include fatal accidents, deforestation, water pollution, and inadequate compensation for land taken from local residents.
Key quote:
“The lack of meaningful government oversight of the nickel industry as demonstrated in our report is a serious cause for concern.”
— Krista Shennum, researcher at CRI
Visit EHN's energy section for more top news about energy, climate and health.
Keep reading...Show less
Credit: stefanophotographer/Bigstock Photo ID:456264981
Report outlines cost of Indonesia’s EV dream as Chinese-funded nickel plants linked to pollution, ‘land grabbing’
A report has accused a Chinese-funded industrial estate of causing ‘significant’ environmental destruction and violating the rights of indigenous people.
Credit: Romerito Pontes/Flickr
On Brazil’s smallest Indigenous land, a pregnant teen makes a stand
A tiny Indigenous territory has become a national battleground over Brazil’s most polarizing question: How much land do Indigenous people warrant?
Credit: Francisco Chaves/Flickr
Company sells Indigenous land in Amazonas as NFTs without community’s knowledge
Areas of the Apurinã territory in the Lower Seruini area, in southern Amazonas state, were sold by Nemus under an NFT project that promises to preserve the forest and generate carbon credits.
Credit: Eduardo Bertran/Flickr
Swiss mining firm backs court's land rights decision in Guatemala
The Switzerland-based Solway Investment Group supports a recent court ruling that mandates Guatemala to acknowledge the property rights of an Indigenous community.
In short:
- The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled against Guatemala, asserting the rights of the Indigenous Q’eqchi’ people over mining lands.
- Guatemala is instructed to legislate for Indigenous property recognition and start awarding land titles to the Agua Caliente community within six months.
- Solway, which acquired local mining companies in 2011, pledges to assist the Guatemalan government in respecting the court's decision and the rights of the Indigenous community.
Key quote:
“We will support the efforts of the Guatemalan government to conduct discussions with (the) Agua Caliente community as the court ruling stipulates.”
— Statement from Solway Investment Group
More Top News:
Visit Environmental Health News for the latest breaking news on environmental health and climate change.
Keep reading...Show less
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
