COMMENT | As an environmental studies student, reading Malaysiakini’s reporting on the pollution linked to iron ore mining in Kampung Kelaik, Kelantan last year, and pictures of their food covered by a rust-red substance was a shock.

But more devastating was reading about the high chromium levels in the blood of resident Azlan Ahak, 19, likely due to the heavy metal pollution upstream.

I, too, am 19.

This is someone my age, suffering from the consequences of another’s disregard for the environment.

Sadly, this is not an isolated case.

Indigenous people and vulnerable communities all around the world bear the burden of dealing with the aftermath of environmental degradation, often caused by large industries and development projects prioritising profits over ecological health and social welfare.

Kampung Kelaik is left to bear with...