Climate displaced and invisible victims: violations of animal rights in the recent floods of southern Brazil

Abstract

This article analyzes the invisibilization of animals in climate disasters, proposing their inclusion in the concept of "climate displaced", in order to expand their protection in crisis contexts. The research, focused on the 2024 climate disaster in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, highlights juridical-political failures that resulted in an insufficient state response, neglecting animal rights and treating them as secondary. Furthermore, it highlights the fragmentation in the management of animal rescue and shelter operations due to the low coordination between federative entities in Brazil. The article proposes the creation of a legal framework that recognizes animals as legitimate victims in climate catastrophes, integrating them into crisis management in all its phases, as well as a paradigm shift, with the development of public policies and educational actions to promote societal awareness about the interdependence between all forms of life and the importance of an inclusive and ethical response in crisis contexts.