| Summary: | Degree: Master of Laws Abstract: This study examines the negative impacts of climate change on the rights to life and health of marginalized communities by using as cases studies, rural Niger-Delta and Indigenous communities in oil producing areas of Nigeria and Canada. The case studies reveal that marginalization and inequality limits the enjoyment of the rights to life and health. The study further examines the adequacy of the legal framework in protecting and enforcing these rights in both jurisdictions, and alternatively under regional and international human rights systems. It argues that the rights of both groups are not adequately protected in both jurisdictions as they are marginalized in comparison with the rest of the population. Consequently, climate change will inevitably exacerbate their plight and further violate these rights. The thesis proposes ways of protecting these rights as well as seeking remedies for the infringements of the rights. The thesis comprises six chapters. Chapter 1 provides the context to the thesis through the introduction. Chapter 2 presents the literature review of the thesis. Chapter 3 examines the rights to life and health. Chapter 4 analyzes Nigeria as a case study by looking at the impacts of climate change on rights to life and health of the marginalized Niger Delta group in rural communities in Nigeria. Similarly, Chapter 5 uses Canada as a case study by assessing the First Nations in the Treaty 8 territory and how their rights to life and health will be adversely affected by climate change. Chapter 6 proposes ways of protecting the enumerated rights as well as obtaining redress for the infringement of the rights and concludes the thesis.
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