understand the sustainability strategy behind these practices, which aim to conserve rather than destroy the land’s productive capacity. environmentally harmful industries to be based disproportionately in regions where mostly minorities live. Eco-tourism is an increasing trend and visits to ethnic minority areas and festivals or religious minorities’ sacred sites are common attractions. While eco-tourism, managed ethically, may be beneficial to minorities, it could also cause harm. Often minority communities are affected by such tourism but accrue few economic or social benefits and have little control over the use of their cultural identity for marketing of tourism. Very few of the profits from eco-tourism reach the communities directly, while scare resources of food, water and energy can be diverted for the use of visitors and away from community access, increasing vulnerability. Forms of discrimination that manifest, inter alia, as environmental racism, can be averted by ensuring access to justice for minorities. Access to Justice projects for groups affected by environmental harms can be supported. Programmes and projects can be assessed for potential adverse impact on minority groups. Provision of relief following environmental disasters can be planned with consideration for avoiding possible discriminatory practices and can be monitored to ensure minorities are benefiting equally. Minorities may be particularly vulnerable to the health effects of environmental pollution and degradation. Environmental racism pushes minorities into the most polluted settlement areas, where provision of clean water and sanitation is at its lowest. Minorities also frequently live in sub-standard housing conditions. Traditional food production by minorities can be impacted by environmental change. Reductions in fish stocks, sufficient grazing areas for cattle, biodiversity or forest areas can severely threaten food security for communities that culturally rely on these sources of food and livelihood. Some communities use traditional medicines derived from forest resources; as these resources decrease, traditional healthcare practices are at risk. The full participation of minorities in devising sustainable development strategies is essential both because of community expertise on environmental issues and because of the impact of such strategies on their culture, lifestyles and livelihoods. Representatives from minority communities can be invited to participate in environmental regulatory institutions. This can help to mitigate the practice of approving Cultural identities can be safeguarded against the adverse impact of environmental changes. Specific attention can be paid to reviewing how events like flooding, climate change, desertification, and air pollution are impacting on the ability of minority communities to practice their livelihoods, food production and protect their cultural ways of living. Special measures to assist minorities whose livelihoods are particularly harmed by environmental degradation can be put in place, including as part of poverty reduction strategies. Eco-tourism programmes could be managed with respect for minority protection. Programmes may be assessed to ensure that community members have consented to their participation in the schemes, that cultural and religious identities are protected and that members are benefiting from the potential economic gains of tourism. There are good examples of community-managed eco-tourism schemes that work to ensure the best interests of the community are met (e.g. Zeppel 2007). The UNDG Guidelines on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues notes that many indigenous peoples are highly dependent on their lands and natural resources and that any changes to the ecosystem may impact on their way of life and survival. Environmental degradation contributes to continued poverty in indigenous communities due Chapter 4: Minorities in Development 65