Work

A State-of-the-Art Review of Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Pollution

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: S11: Conducting research on environmental epidemiology with Indigenous Peoples, August 27, 2019, 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Indigenous Peoples are confronted by the increasing threat of pollution all over the world. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature (N = 659 studies), this work presents the current state of knowledge on i) the exposure and vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples to pollution risks; ii) the environmental, health and cultural impacts of pollution upon Indigenous Peoples and their territories; and iii) Indigenous Peoples’ contributions to prevent, control, limit, and abate pollution from local to global scales. Our review shows that throughout the world Indigenous Peoples experience increasing burdens of environmental pollution linked to the expansion of commodity frontiers and industrial development, including agricultural, mining and extractive industries, as well as urban growth, waste dumping and infrastructure and energy development. We also document the different pathways through which Indigenous Peoples are contributing to limit pollution all over the world, including through environmental monitoring and global policy advocacy, as well as through several forms of local resistance towards polluting activities. This work adds to growing evidence of the breadth and depth of environmental injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples worldwide but it also nuances it by distilling the main geographic patterns of available evidence. We conclude highlighting the important environmental justice issues surrounding environmental pollution and Indigenous Peoples, in that although Indigenous Peoples did not create much of the pollution they are exposed to, they remain neglected by both national and international laws. We provide policy recommendations for increasing Indigenous Peoples engagement in environmental decision-making regarding pollution control.

Source: Environmental Epidemiology

DOI: 10.1097/01.ee9.0000609632.34852.db