Is there a right to a healthy environment in International Human Rights Law?

Abstract

The right to a healthy environment, despite its importance and its link to human rights, cannot preserve existing human rights such as the right to life, health, and others if a healthy, safe, and clean environment is not available. As soon as there is environmental damage, we find that the existing related rights have been affected. However, the right to a healthy environment is still ambiguous in international and regional legal instruments, and few laws recognize it because there are obstacles to recognizing the right in question. The research presents a series of laws related to the right to a healthy environment, either by referring to it indirectly or directly. The research also analyses those texts and legal provisions to investigate whether there is a right to a healthy environment in international human rights law. It also presents several issues that have arisen due to the violation of the right to a healthy environment due to poor air quality, and the aim is to know the negative effects of non-adoption and recognition of the relevant right.