Environmental governance and climate change in Africa: legal perspectives, by Rose Mwebaza

Institute of Security Studies, 2009 

Climate change poses a serious threat to almost all the underlying determinants of health. The projected effects of climate change threaten the realisation of economic, social and cultural rights generally, and the right to health in particular. Climate change is likely to compromise the availability of and accessibility to health facilities, goods and services, especially for vulnerable members of society. However, irrespective of the burden of climate change on the available resources, Uganda must perform its obligations in respect of the right to health of its citizens. Consequently, Uganda should request for and be provided with the necessary technical and financial assistance to enable it to respond to the effects of climate change on public health. International assistance should not only be expedient but also an environmental and human rights obligation. This monograph examines the legal perspective relevant to the effects of climate change, with a specific focus on the remedies that can be used to enforce policy decisions that need to made.