CLIMATE LITIGATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS: AN ANALYSIS OF SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN THE FACE OF URBAN VULNERABILITY IN THE MACEIÓ AND RIO GRANDE DO SUL CASES

Abstract

This article analyzes the relationship between climate litigation and the promotion of human rights, with a central focus on socio-environmental justice and the worsening of urban vulnerability in territories severely impacted by human-induced disasters and extreme events. To achieve this objective, it critically investigates the role of justice system institutions in the soil subsidence events in Maceió (AL) and the historic flooding in Rio Grande do Sul. The methodology employed is based on qualitative, bibliographical, and documentary research, using the deductive method and a comparative analysis of environmental reports, judicial decisions, and current regulatory frameworks. The results reveal that state omission, combined with predatory exploitation, heightens the structural inequalities faced by peripheral populations, highlighting the occurrence of environmental racism. The study concludes that climate litigation has established itself as an indispensable tool for accountability, reparation, and the comprehensive protection of fundamental rights, making it imperative to incorporate socio-environmental justice guidelines into the formulation and execution of urban public policies.