TY - JOUR

T1 - Displacement, Relocation, and the Legacies of Colonialism

T2 - A Human Rights-Based Approach to Disaster Risk Management in Greenland

AU - Cullen, Miriam

AU - Holm, Benedicte Sofie

AU - Olsen, Céline E J L Brassart

PY - 2024/5/28

Y1 - 2024/5/28

N2 - In Greenland, the agricultural, social, and political legacy of colonialism has led to the systemic loss of traditional knowledge, and damaged the social fabric of its Indigenous Peoples. The introduction of a European and anthroprocentric world view, and legal system, disrupted otherwise strong societal resilience, increased disaster risk, and led to instances of forced relocation and evictions. The consequent entrenched distrust of centralized authority alongside significant geographical distance from the (better-resourced) state authority has continuing implications for disaster risk reduction, recovery and response. At the same time, private sector engagement is intensifying in precisely these locations as resource and energy scarcity drive companies to exploit potential opportunities in “new” territory, raising questions about disaster risk creation. As the consequences of colonialism on Indigenous Peoples both persist, and continue to be revealed, this article assesses whether and how rights-based approaches could be more effectively employed to underpin disaster policy.

AB - In Greenland, the agricultural, social, and political legacy of colonialism has led to the systemic loss of traditional knowledge, and damaged the social fabric of its Indigenous Peoples. The introduction of a European and anthroprocentric world view, and legal system, disrupted otherwise strong societal resilience, increased disaster risk, and led to instances of forced relocation and evictions. The consequent entrenched distrust of centralized authority alongside significant geographical distance from the (better-resourced) state authority has continuing implications for disaster risk reduction, recovery and response. At the same time, private sector engagement is intensifying in precisely these locations as resource and energy scarcity drive companies to exploit potential opportunities in “new” territory, raising questions about disaster risk creation. As the consequences of colonialism on Indigenous Peoples both persist, and continue to be revealed, this article assesses whether and how rights-based approaches could be more effectively employed to underpin disaster policy.

M3 - Journal article

VL - 5

SP - 77

EP - 100

JO - Yearbook of International Disaster Law

JF - Yearbook of International Disaster Law

SN - 2590-0846

IS - 1 Thematic Issue on Human Rights

ER -