Climate and environmental justice is a topic of growing concern and dominates the attention of politicians, decision-makers and researchers around the world.
There are important factors that crucially influence climate and environmental justice in different countries, including political, economic, administrative, cultural, social and legal factors. The characteristics and effectiveness of such a climate and environmental justice system varies from one society to another according to the level of coherence and the dynamics of interaction between these factors, taken individually or/and collectively.
Law is one paramount tool for environmental justice development. It defines the jurisdiction of various branches of government, and also regulates the activities and operations carried out by the different sectors of society involved in the climate and environmental field. Moreover, the environmental law also frames and informs existing environmental policies that focus on the management of natural resources, and other central environmental issues.
In Palestine, we observe a significant increase in cases and sources of environmental degradation and hazards, which has elicited a growing interest in knowledge and experience in the field of environmental law. Continued Israeli colonial practices, military occupation, and the limited prerogatives of the Palestinian Authority in matters of natural resources, water, and environment more generally, have obstructed the development and implementation of adequate environmental laws and policies.
This complex political context -along with Israeli policies and practices -such as dumping in the Palestinian Territory solid waste, sewer waters, and industrial residues, land confiscations, the separation wall, and the expansion of Israeli settlements- have seriously and continuously affected and deteriorated the Palestinian environment.
Given these facts, it has become vital to initiate a formal discussion on climate and environmental Justice in Palestine. The discussion should focus on developing plans and strategies to create an appropriate and effective environmental justice system in the country. Accordingly, this conference is designed to review, analyse, and compare the legislative and regulatory frameworks and policies, at a national and international level, along with any other pertinent topic regarding environmental justice in Palestine.
