Every Humanitarian is an Environmentalist
Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment
I’ve taken part in over a half dozen peace processes in my career, from Sri Lanka to South Sudan. There are so many courageous people in these undertakings. Citizens who suffer silently the untold horrors of war. Communities that set aside differences, and empathize in order to compromise. Politicians who reject personal ambition and political pressure, and put the greater good before themselves.
But undoubtedly the bravest are the humanitarians. These are individuals who have put themselves in harm’s way with the sole purpose of helping those affected by crisis. They are the definition of selfless. Today on World Humanitarian Day, we celebrate their courage.
We also recall the victims they are trying to protect. More than 130 million people worldwide need humanitarian assistance to survive. Some are caught in conflict. Some are caught in disasters beyond human control. Others are caught in disasters humanity has made worse.
How can any person see millions suffering and not feel they want to help?
Of course, not everyone can help directly in the aftermath of a crisis. Yet humanitarians do much more than provide immediate relief. They help rebuild lives after disasters. They build resilience in communities. They create the foundations of long-lasting peace, stability and well-being. There are ways for everyone to help with these goals. This is why everyone can be a humanitarian.
It is also why every humanitarian is an environmentalist. The environment is at the heart of everything. It is the foundation on which peace, stability and well-being are all developed. To care for the environment is to care for humanity.
We know the impact that a changing climate and a damaged global environment is having on our lives. The evidence is already here. 335 weather-related disasters were recorded annually between 2005 and 2014. This was an increase of of 14% from the decade prior, and almost double the decade before that.
Economic losses from this extreme weather amount to trillions of dollars over the last two decades. But the human cost is so much worse. Since 1995, 606,000 have died and many, many more have been injured or left in need of emergency assistance as a result of weather-related disasters. These disasters are often beyond our control, but climate change is aggravating the problem.
Then there are environmental disasters well within our control. Each year millions die prematurely because of environmental factors, such as air pollution and unclean water. In the Middle East, where that number is in the hundreds of thousands, that’s more than die annually from the current fighting in the region.
Worse still, environmental disaster and conflict cannot be seen as separate. There is a direct link from the profits of plundering the environment.
After drug smuggling, counterfeiting and human trafficking, environmental crime is the 4th most valuable criminal enterprise on the planet. Profits from environmental crime — which ranges from illegal trade of natural resources to trafficking hazardous materials — fund civil wars, criminal cartels, and terror groups such as ISIS.
Environmental degradation can also fuel wars. As ecosystems become less productive and supportive to human populations, this will often prompt migration, which can prompt conflict. A war having broken out, droughts, floods or other extreme weather events become extremely difficult to handle. It is a vicious cycle.
It is clear we need humanitarians more than ever. The demand is immense. Providing relief services, building resilience, and fixing communities and societies broken by war and disaster, is incredibly challenging and important. In these crises, the bravest among us continue to be the heroes for those who need them most.
But as we celebrate our common humanity, let’s not forget the foundation of sustainable peace, stability and well-being. If we strive for a healthy environment, we are ultimately striving for human welfare.
