UN Report Reveals Global Environmental Justice
Especially concerning is how these impacts compound existing vulnerabilities. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 405 millionextremely poor people are directly exposed to unsafe PM2.5 concentrations[10]. Almost half of the 716 million peopleliving in extreme poverty and exposed to unsafe air pollution reside in just three nations: India, Nigeria, and theDemocratic Republic of Congo[10].Case study: Toxic waste dumping in West AfricaThe practice of toxic waste dumping starkly illustrates environmental racism in action. In 2006, the cargo ship ProboKoala discharged 500 tons of toxic waste in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, killing 17 people and poisoning thousands more[1].This occurred after Trafigura, a Netherlands-based multinational, refused proper disposal in Europe because the€500,000 price tag seemed excessive[11]. Instead, they paid just €18,500 to an Ivorian contractor[11].Likewise, in 1988, thousands of barrels of hazardous waste disguised as building materials were discovered in Koko,Nigeria. Re...