The environment is more than just plants and animals in the wild. It is everything that surrounds us: the air, water, sounds and smells. These, as well as sustainable climate conditions for us and future generations, are essential for our existence and fulfilment. Protection of the environment, as well as the prevention of climate change, is our shared responsibility; therefore, human rights and other international instruments give us special rights, enabling us to be involved in its protection.
A clean and healthy environment, including adequate climate conditions, is the very basis of all our human rights. It would be impossible for us to live, enjoy our private life, exercise our freedom of expression and enjoy our other rights if we did not have clean air, clean drinking water, healthy food, and if our immediate surroundings were not safe.
In Latvia, the right to a healthy environment is a human right in itself. Therefore, you have the right to demand that the environment is protected and kept clean and safe.
Pollution and environmental damage can directly affect your right to life and right to health, and can also affect the enjoyment of your private life. Climate change can also affect the health and well-being of vulnerable groups, such as the young, the elderly or people with pre-existing health conditions.
Environmental damage can also affect your peaceful enjoyment of property by causing damage to it or lowering its value due to pollution or other environmental damage.
The State is obliged to ensure that the environment is clean and healthy and preserved for this and future generations. Therefore, the State has to not only create laws that protect the environment and abide by them but to also ensure that private persons do not pollute or otherwise damage the environment.
You have special rights to be involved in protection of the environment because its preservation is our shared right and responsibility. You have the right to access information relating to the environment, express your views on decisions regarding the environment and complain to the courts when the environment or your rights are damaged.
About this Guide
This Guide will explain the types of environmental damage (pollution) that you may most commonly encounter and how they can affect your human rights. It will explain how to get involved in decision-making on the environment and how to complain if state institutions or private actors damage the environment and violate your rights. It will also explain what your rights are and the obligations of States to slow down and prevent climate change.