“Right to clean environment is an inalienable part of human right”. Explain thestatement.

The statement "Right to clean environment is an inalienable part of human rights" asserts that every individual has an inherent entitlement to live in a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as an essential component of their fundamental human rights. This principle recognizes the interconnectedness between environmental quality, human well-being, and the realization of basic human rights, encompassing the right to life, health, dignity, and cultural integrity.

The concept of the right to a clean environment is rooted in various international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and regional treaties such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. These instruments recognize the intrinsic value of environmental protection in ensuring the enjoyment of other human rights and affirm the responsibility of states to safeguard environmental quality and public health.

The right to a clean environment encompasses several dimensions:

1. Health and Well-being: A clean environment is essential for safeguarding public health, preventing diseases, and promoting physical and mental well-being. Access to clean air, water, and sanitation facilities is critical for ensuring the right to life and health for all individuals, particularly vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and marginalized communities.

2. Dignity and Quality of Life: Environmental degradation, pollution, and ecological destruction can undermine human dignity and compromise the quality of life for individuals and communities. Access to a clean environment enables people to live with dignity, free from environmental hazards, pollution-related illnesses, and degradation of natural resources that threaten their livelihoods and cultural heritage.

3. Sustainable Development: The right to a clean environment is closely linked to the principles of sustainable development, which seek to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Environmental protection is essential for ensuring intergenerational equity, preserving biodiversity, and maintaining ecological balance for the benefit of current and future populations.

By recognizing the right to a clean environment as an integral part of human rights, societies affirm their commitment to environmental justice, equity, and accountability in addressing environmental challenges, promoting participatory decision-making, and advancing sustainable development goals. Upholding this right requires collective action, legal protections, and policy measures to ensure that environmental resources are sustainably managed, environmental harms are prevented, and the well-being of all individuals and communities is safeguarded.