Environmental justice is often framed as a technical or ecological issue about forests, rivers, and climate. Yet in Africa it is inseparable from social justice. When the environment is degraded, it is the poor, the displaced, and the marginalized who suffer most.
For communities already facing persecution whether for their sexuality, gender identity, or refugee status ecological harm compounds existing inequalities. I am a queer refugee and human rights defender displaced from Uganda to the Gorom Refugee Settlement in South Sudan. As such I have learned that environmental justice is fundamentally a question of social justice, and that humanism offers a framework for addressing both.
African scholars have long argued that environmental ethics must be contextualized within Africa’s communitarian traditions. Thinkers such as Godfrey Tangwa and Segun Ogungbemi emphasize the preservation of nature for current and future generations, but often overlook the equitable distribution of environmental burdens and resources. This is a gap that environmental justice seeks to fill. Humanism, with its emphasis on dignity, equity, and rational solutions, provides a lens to bridge this gap.
The Refugee Experience
Refugee settlements across Africa are often located in ecologically fragile areas. In Kakuma, Kenya, water scarcity and extreme heat shapes daily survival. Refugees queue for hours to collect limited water rations, while the arid land offers little opportunity for farming or self-sufficiency. In Gorom, South Sudan, deforestation and poor sanitation compound the challenges of displacement. Refugees already stripped of their homes and livelihoods must now contend with polluted water, inadequate shelter, and degraded land.
Climate change amplifies these vulnerabilities. Over the past decade, weather-related disasters have caused more than 220 million internal displacements globally, disproportionately affecting Africa. Refugees are often “twice displaced” first by persecution or conflict, and then by climate shocks such as floods or droughts. Camps that were once temporary solutions are increasingly threatened by extreme weather, which will make them nearly uninhabitable by 2050.
Intersectionality
For LGBTQ+ refugees, environmental injustice is layered upon social exclusion. In camps, queer individuals often face hostility from fellow refugees, religious groups, and even authorities. When resources like clean water or healthcare are scarce, discrimination determines who gets access first and who is left behind. Environmental harm therefore magnifies existing social injustices, making survival even more precarious for those already marginalized.
Research shows that LGBTQ+ communities globally face disproportionate environmental health burdens due to systemic discrimination in housing, healthcare, and employment. In East Africa, queer environmental defenders encounter systemic oppression and stigma in their struggle for justice. For displaced queer refugees, the intersection of persecution and ecological neglect is particularly acute. As one scholar notes, the climate crisis and LGBTQ+ refugee struggles are “overlooked intersections” that demand urgent recognition.
Case Studies
Niger Delta, Nigeria
Oil spills have poisoned rivers and farmland, destroying livelihoods and fuelling poverty. Fishing communities, once self-sufficient, now struggle with contaminated waters. The poor, not the corporations, bear the brunt of ecological destruction. Scholars describe the Niger Delta as a “resource curse” wealth extracted from the land enriches a few while impoverishing many. This is environmental injustice as social injustice: ecological harm translates directly into social inequality.
Congo Basin
Deforestation threatens indigenous communities whose survival depends on the forest. Logging and mining not only destroy biodiversity but also erode cultural identity. For indigenous peoples, the forest is not just a resource it is home, history, and spirituality. Its destruction is both ecological and social violence.
Urban Pollution in Kampala
Air pollution disproportionately affects the urban poor, who cannot afford healthcare or relocation. Children in low-income neighbourhoods suffer respiratory illnesses at higher rates, while wealthier families move to cleaner suburbs. Environmental harm here is stratified by class, reinforcing inequality.
Humanism as a Path Forward
Humanism emphasizes dignity, equity, and rational solutions. Applying these values to environmental justice means:
* Recognizing that protecting the environment is protecting human rights. Clean air, water, and land are not luxuries but necessities for human dignity.
* Ensuring policies are science-driven, not dictated by religious dogma or short-term profit. Rational, evidence-based approaches are essential to sustainable development.
* Centering marginalized voices refugees, women, LGBTQ+ people in environmental decision-making. Justice requires inclusion.
* Building solidarity across struggles. Environmental justice movements must connect with human rights, gender equality, and refugee advocacy to be truly transformative.
African humanist thinkers echo this vision. Brian Khabeko argues that humanism, rooted in dignity and reason, offers a powerful framework for addressing global warming and environmental degradation in Africa. The African philosophy of Ubuntu “I am because we are” resonates deeply with humanist principles, emphasizing interconnectedness and collective responsibility.
Kwame Nkrumah once declared: “It is clear that we must find an African solution to our problems.” Environmental justice, framed through humanism, is precisely such a solution rooted in African values yet responsive to global challenges.
Challenges
Corruption, weak governance, and entrenched religious doctrines often block progress. In many African contexts, environmental degradation is tolerated or justified in the name of economic growth or divine will. Humanism challenges these narratives by insisting on rational, evidence-based approaches and by affirming the equal dignity of all people.
Another challenge is invisibility. Refugees, queer people, and the poor are often excluded from national conversations about climate and development. Their struggles are seen as peripheral, yet they are central to the question of justice. Without their inclusion, environmental policies risk reproducing inequality rather than dismantling it.
Personal Reflections from the Margins
As a queer refugee leader, I have seen how environmental injustice shapes daily life. In Kakuma, the scarcity of water was not just a logistical challenge it became a site of discrimination. Queer refugees were often pushed to the back of the line, denied fair access, or harassed while collecting rations. In Gorom, deforestation has left communities struggling to find firewood, and queer refugees face additional risks when venturing into unsafe areas. These experiences show that environmental harm is never abstract; it is lived, embodied, and deeply social.
Humanism gives me language to articulate these struggles. It insists that every person, regardless of identity, deserves dignity. It reminds us that justice must be holistic, addressing both ecological and social dimensions. And it offers hope: that by centering compassion and reason, we can build a future where no one is left behind.
Conclusion: A Call for Inclusive Justice
Environmental justice is social justice. To defend the environment is to defend humanity itself, especially those society too often leaves behind – refugees, queer people, the poor, and the displaced. Africa’s future depends on recognizing this truth. Humanism offers us a path forward: one rooted in reason, compassion, and solidarity. If we protect the environment with justice at the centre, we protect not only nature but the dignity of every human being.
By Kasisi Abraham Jr