Human rights of people living in States threatened by climate change

Sea level rise is a dramatic phenomenon of growing concern to the international community, as it will directly affect some 70 coastal and island States and indirectly affect almost all States due to problems arising from increased migration and lack of natural resources.[1] This is clear from the last IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Report which estimates that, if CO2 emissions are not reduced, sea levels will rise from 60 cm to 1 meter by the end of the century (plus the risk of more frequent tropical storms).[2] Considering that 680 million people live in coastal areas, at a maximum height of 10 meters above sea level, the scale of the phenomenon and its global reach are obvious. These issues obviously concern areas of international law such as the law of the sea; the continuity or loss of statehood; and the impact on the protection of human rights. This contribution focuses on this latter aspect: after briefly recalling the rights that are likely to be further restricted due to sea level rises, the article will focus on the existence of a relationship between the obligation of States to protect human rights and the need to take measures to protect the environment from climate change; it will then focus on the legal framework for the protection of human rights and the issue of environmental migration. The aim is to highlight gaps in the international legal order and to identify more appropriate means for the protection of human rights.