Through the haze: A human rights perspective on wildfires in British Columbia

This report was created to open a conversation about the relationship between human rights and wildfires. While wildfires are an important part of healthy lands, waters and communities in B.C., they have become larger, more severe and more disruptive in recent years. As a result, people across the province have experienced threats to their rights to life, health and security. These impacts are not experienced equally. As Through the Haze describes, certain populations are more exposed to wildfires, less able to protect themselves and slower to recover than others. This is shaped by geography, income, age, disability, Indigeneity and whether one lives in a remote or rural community, and is intensified by infrastructure, service and governance arrangements.