Manushya Foundation releases its new flagship report titled "From Colonial Exploitation to Climate Vulnerability: A Legacy of Injustice for Marginalized Communities – Non-Economic Loss and Damage in Asia and the Pacific", highlighting the profound non-economic impacts of climate change rooted in colonial legacies and structural inequalities.

 

As the climate crisis deepens, communities across Asia and the Pacific—many of whom have contributed the least to global emissions—are suffering some of its most profound and irreversible impacts. This report sheds light on the often-overlooked non-economic loss and damage (NELD) faced by Indigenous Peoples, women, and other marginalized groups: from the erosion of cultural heritage and spiritual identity to psychological trauma and forced displacement. 

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Rooted in historical and structural injustices—from colonialism to systemic discrimination—the report explores how intersecting vulnerabilities compound climate impacts. Drawing on case studies from Indonesia, Vanuatu, Bangladesh, the Greater Mekong Subregion, and the Philippines, it illustrates how climate change threatens not only livelihoods and biodiversity but also the very fabric of community life. Through this analysis, the report calls for urgent global recognition and redress of NELD within international climate policy frameworks. It outlines clear, rights-based recommendations to ensure climate justice is inclusive, context-sensitive, and responsive to the lived realities of those most affected.