The pandemic spotlights and exacerbates socioeconomic inequalities caused by decades of neoliberal policies and failures to invest in social infrastructure. The basic rights to health, housing, and water and sanitation are at risk for millions of people around the world. How can human rights-based approaches ground an effective response to the pandemic now, and build a better world afterwards?

On Feb. 9, 2018, the Duke Environmental Law & Policy Clinic held its first annual Environmental Justice Symposium, focusing on access to water and sanitation in underserved communities. Keynote speaker Catherine Flowers from the Alabama Center for Rural Enterprise discussed "Promoting Access to Environmental Justice in Rural Communities in the U.S."

Introduction: Environmental Law & Policy Clinic Director Ryke Longest