Across continents, “sacrifice zones” resemble wounds carved deep into the fabric of our planet. These are regions where ecosystems and livelihoods have been ravaged by fossil fuel and other industries that promise progress but leave devastation in their wake. These are places where big business and transnational corporations are contaminating the rivers, darkening the skies, and making the soil barren; where the toll of development is paid in human suffering and ecological destruction.
What unites these “sacrifice zones” is the shared story of areas where prosperity for the few is built on the suffering of many, and where communities fight to mend the fractures inflicted upon their land, health and dignity.
Here are four case studies highlighting the experiences of communities and civil society organizations collaborating with us in the Community Resource Exchange (CRE).
Pollution from the Pangkalan Susu coal-fired power plant. Source: Srikandi Lestari Foundation
Global network of sacrifice zones
The stories of Tula, Antofagasta, Odimodi and Pangkalan Susu are not isolated; they are threads in a global tapestry of sacrifice zones where communities pay the price for industrial expansion. What ties these struggles together is not only the systematic exploitation they endure but also their resilience and determination to fight back.
To dismantle sacrifice zones, governments and corporations must prioritize people over profit, implement robust environmental safeguards, and respect the rights and autonomy of affected communities. These efforts must be paired with systemic changes to development financing, ensuring that projects serve the well-being of people and the planet, rather than perpetuating cycles of harm.
The fight for environmental justice is not just a struggle to protect land, air and water; it is a battle to reclaim futures stolen by greed and negligence. In their courage and perseverance, the people of Tula, Antofagasta, Odimodi and Pangkalan Susu light the way for communities to shape their own development outcomes.
Read the case studies in the Mongabay article here.
Source: Red de Conciencia Ambiental “Queremos Vivir” (Tula, Mexico)