Sacrifice zones are described by the UN as places where people suffer devastating physical and mental health consequences and human rights violations as a result of living in pollution hotspots and heavily contaminated areas. Greenpeace describes them as “geographical areas which are knowingly destroyed in the name of power and profit”.

Katta Alonso lives in one such place. She leads the group, Women of the Sacrifice Zone in Quintero, Chile. In this episode she tells Leana and Rachel how their once beautiful coastal town has become a living nightmare. Hundreds of children have been hospitalised as a result of chemical leaks from the nearby industrial zone and they have one of the highest cancer rates in Chile. Theirs is of course not the only community living next door to heavily polluting facilities. David Boyd, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment and Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, shared his expertise on sacrifice zones across the world.

In each episode, investigative journalists Rachel Salvidge and Leana Hosea bring you tales from the frontline of the water crisis, interviewing:

• Someone on the frontline of the water crisis.
• A world class expert, who can shed light on the causes and solutions to the issue in hand.

Find out more about Rachel and Leana's work at Watershed Investigations @WATERSHED_i

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.