The Southeast Asian region faces significant challenges from climate change and transboundary environmental harm, impacting human rights and livelihoods across borders. Severe weather events, haze pollution, and environmental degradation have highlighted the need for stronger legal responses to address these pressing issues.
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI), in collaboration with leading institutions across Southeast Asia, has developed a Case Repository to serve as a vital resource for legal practitioners, civil society, justice sector actors, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), and the public. This repository features an in-depth analysis of twelve landmark cases from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, addressing climate change and transboundary harm, including pollution of rivers and air.
By examining trends and themes, the repository offers insights into how environmental harm exacerbates human rights violations, such as unequal access to health and justice, with disproportionate impacts on women, children, and vulnerable communities. It highlights lessons learned, gaps in legal frameworks, and opportunities for future litigation efforts.
For the case study framework, RWI’s FIRE Framework was employed to structure the questions asked to national partners, ensuring the analysis identifies whether decisions comply with human rights and gender equality standards. National partners were specifically asked to evaluate whether the courts or litigants addressed discrimination patterns and causes of inequality that led to the disproportionate harm suffered by victims due to environmental harm and/or climate change.
Partners Involved:
• International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
• Ateneo De Naga University, Philippines
• Djokosoetono Research Centre, University of Indonesia
• Thailand Institute of Justice
• AmerBon Advocates, Malaysia
Get in Touch With
Windi Arini
Windi is currently the Regional Director for Asia Pacific (a.i.). She works from the Jakarta office and contributes to regional initiatives across Southeast Asia that strengthen access to justice, climate resilience, and rights-based local governance. Her work includes advancing RWI’s engagement with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and supporting the development of regional tools on environmental adjudication.
Windi first joined RWI as a Programme Officer, where she focused on localising human rights in the context of the SDGs. She worked closely with local governments, academic institutions, and CSOs to help shape inclusive, rights-based policies—efforts that continue to inform RWI’s work on human rights cities today.
She graduated from Atma Jaya Catholic University (Faculty of Law) in 2010 and began her career at a law office where she led capacity-building programmes on international humanitarian law and human rights for the Indonesian military. After earning her master’s degree in Theory and Practice of Human Rights from the University of Oslo, she served nearly four years as a Human Rights Officer at the ASEAN Secretariat. There, she provided technical and project support to AICHR and ASEAN-IPR across a range of thematic areas, including women and children’s rights, business and human rights, and the rights of persons with disabilities.
When not in the office, Windi enjoys reading, traveling, and is especially fond of spicy food.