The impact of environmental crimes and human induced disaster on cultural rights of indigenous and afro-indigenous peoples

Increasingly serious environmental crimes and large-scale human-induced disasters generate harm that impacts local communities. For instance, in 2015, the Fundo Dam collapse contaminated 650 kilometres of the Doce River with toxic residues, affecting the life of 1.6 million people living in the watershed. Among them, indigenous and afro-indigenous peoples have their life and culture impacted. This project seeks to understand and conceptualise what indigenous and afro-indigenous peoples cultural rights are affected by environmental degradation in Brazil and Colombia. It aims to co-develop with local communities in those countries a toolbox to identify and protect their cultural rights and to claim redress for cultural losses.