harmremains

Harmremains is a term used in ethical, legal, and policy discussions to describe the enduring residues of harm that persist after the initial incident or act. The term is not widely standardized and appears in various scholarly and advocacy writings to capture harm that outlives the immediate event.

Concepts encompassed by harmremains include physical sequelae such as chronic illness or disability; psychological effects like trauma and stigma; economic consequences including debt or lost opportunities; social and cultural harms such as displacement or erosion of community cohesion; and environmental damage that continues to affect ecosystems and livelihoods. These effects can persist for years or generations and may interact across domains, amplifying overall suffering or disadvantage.

Contexts and applications: In humanitarian law and post-conflict recovery, harmremains may justify ongoing reparations or monitoring. In medical ethics, it informs long-term care planning and patient support. In climate justice and corporate accountability, it highlights that harms from a disaster or a polluted operation can require durable remedies beyond immediate relief.

Challenges: Definitions vary, making measurement difficult. Critics argue that the term risks vagueness or duplication of established concepts like long-term effects or residual harms. Proponents suggest combining qualitative narratives with longitudinal indicators to assess scope and severity, and to guide policy and compensation decisions.

See also: Trauma, Long-term effects, Reparations, Intergenerational harm, Residual risk.