Our Crisis

From Guyana to Nigeria, South Africa to the Philippines - communities in the Global South are caught in a struggle against corporate greed, environmental destruction, and systemic inequality. Whether it's oil extraction poisoning the land, ancestral territories being seized, or activists losing their lives for defending nature, the pattern is the same: powerful industries and governments prioritize profit over people.

Promises of development and progress mask the deepening poverty, pollution, and loss faced by ordinary citizens. These are not isolated issues but part of a larger global crisis - where the few benefit, and the many are left to pay the price of the climate catastrophe. Below are just a handful of examples.

Guyana

Guyana is at the center of a battle against the fossil fuel industry. Corporate giants like Exxonmobil have expanded their operations, capitalizing on Guyana’s status as a small, so-called “developing third-world country.”

While these industries promise economic growth, the reality is starkly different. Profits accumulate for multinationals while ordinary citizens face increasing hardship. Decision-making remains in the hands of a privileged few, reinforcing long-standing systems of inequality rather than benefiting the broader population.

Nigeria

In the Niger Delta, the heart of Nigeria’s oil production, local communities bear the heavy cost of extraction. For decades, oil spills have contaminated the land and waterways, crippling local fisheries and agriculture.

Shell, the dominant oil company in the region, has recently announced its departure, but it leaves behind an environmental and humanitarian crisis - unresolved pollution, lost livelihoods, and entire communities pushed deeper into poverty. The people are left to deal with the aftermath of corporate greed, while promises of sustainable development remain unfulfilled.

South Africa

In South Africa, Indigenous communities are resisting the forced occupation of their ancestral lands. For years, corporations and governments have attempted to lure them with promises of modern infrastructure such as schools, roads, and jobs. Yet, the people stand firm, questioning the imposed definition of “progress.”

“Who decided that the way we live, grow our food, and honor our ancestors is poverty?” they ask. 

To them, the land is not just a resource. It is their history, identity, and future. The battle for land rights is a battle for dignity and the right to define development on their own terms.

The Philippines

In the Philippines, climate disasters dominate headlines, but the names of those who fight to protect the land often go unheard. Among them was Chad Booc, an environmental activist and educator who dedicated his life to teaching in Indigenous schools.

These schools, which empower students with knowledge of self-determination and land rights, were seen as a threat by those in power. In 2022, Chad was killed and labeled a terrorist for doing nothing more than educating and defending his people. His story is one of many, revealing the dangerous reality faced by activists on the frontlines of climate justice.

Morocco

Across Morocco, climate change is tightening its grip, with rising temperatures and worsening droughts threatening both rural and urban life. In regions once rich in agriculture, such as the Saïss Plain and Souss Valley, water scarcity has decimated crops and forced many farmers to abandon their lands. The country’s growing reliance on overexploited groundwater and unsustainable development has intensified the crisis.

Meanwhile, coastal cities face increasing risks from rising sea levels and extreme weather events. Despite ambitious renewable energy projects, many communities still grapple with the immediate realities of climate stress, disappearing livelihoods, food insecurity, and displacement. As the environment deteriorates, the gap between policy promises and local resilience continues to widen.

Tunisia 

In Tunisia, the climate crisis is no longer a distant threat; it’s a daily reality. According to UN reports, record-breaking temperatures in recent years and intensifying droughts have pushed the country into the ranks of the world’s top ten most water-scarce nations.

Yet, this unfolding emergency is met with a troubling lack of strategic planning and long-term adaptation measures. Communities face a bleak future as essential resources vanish, agriculture suffers, and migration becomes a survival response.

Activists continue to sound the alarm despite increasing risks, determined to expose the depth of the crisis and demand accountability. However, amid global summits dominated by fossil fuel interests and unequal power dynamics, Tunisia’s voice, like many in the Global South, struggles to be heard. Here, the battle is against climate change and the economic systems and political neglect that allow it to deepen unchecked.

The Fight

Our current global economy, dominated by corporations and driven by endless resource extraction, is failing both people and the planet. Prioritizing profits over communities, this system leaves farmers, fishers, and Indigenous peoples struggling to survive in the face of climate and economic crises. But there is a way forward: a just transition led by those on the frontlines of the crisis.

For countries in the ‘Global South’ to be able to afford a just transition, we need to hold those most responsible to account: historically polluting countries and corporations. We can do so by pressuring our governments to hold the ‘Global North’ accountable, and by making polluters pay.

Why Community-Led Solutions Matter

A just transition is not just about switching to renewable energy while keeping the same exploitative systems in place. It’s about rebuilding economies to be fair, sustainable, and democratic - where communities, not corporations, hold power over their lives and resources. This is why community-led solutions matter-they empower us all to be part of the solution.

Cooperatives are one of the tools for this shift. In places like Amchit, Lebanon, a coastal fishing town, fishers have formed a cooperative to protect their livelihoods and the environment. Instead of competing and exhausting fish stocks, they share resources and manage fishing sustainably - ensuring fair prices and healthy oceans.

This model works far beyond fishing. Across agriculture, renewable energy, and other sectors, cooperatives and local initiatives are proving that when communities collaborate, they create resilient economies, protect ecosystems, and advance social justice.

What a Just Transition Requires

For a truly just transition, systemic change is needed. Governments and international institutions must stop propping up corporations and instead:

• Invest in community-owned renewable energy instead of fossil fuels.

• Support cooperatives and local community-led initiatives in farming, fishing, and clean energy with financial and technical resources.

• Protect land and resource rights for Indigenous and small-scale communities.

• Promote fair trade policies that put people before profit.

Putting Power Back in People's Hands

Climate justice and social justice are inseparable. To break free from rampant inequity and environmental destruction, we must shift power to communities, creating systems that work for people and the planet - not corporate shareholders.