Climate Change and Disaster Displacement
By Christine Tran
What do you imagine when you hear the term “refugees?” Many people immediately think of the displaced people fleeing their home country to escape persecution, war, and conflict. However, an invisible but just as troubling adversary can be why refugees need to flee their homes to find refuge: climate change.
Climate change is defined as the change in global or regional climate patterns. In particular, these changes were made apparent from the mid to late 20th century and onwards as a result of the Industrial Revolution and the technological advances that have been made. As a result, this led to increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels. The consequences of climate change affect everybody around the world. However, not many people consider one of the most disproportionately affected populations of climate change: refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and the stateless. Many of them live in climate “hotspots” where they do not have the necessary resources to live and adapt to an increasingly hostile environment (UNHCR, 2020).
In many ways, climate change can act as a threat multiplier to existing problems. Climate change can devastate populations and trigger displacement by limiting natural resources (such as drinking water, which is already scarce in many parts of the world) and making conditions too hot and dry or too cold and wet for crops and livestock (UNHCR, 2020) Extreme weather events such as abnormally heavy rainfall, prolonged droughts, desertification, environmental degradation, cyclones, and sea-level rise also occur. These hazards cause more than 20 million people to flee their homes and move to other areas in their countries or even cross borders to reach other countries each year (UNHCR, 2020). They have also compounded food insecurity and water scarcity.
Every day is a day closer to the point of no return, and as climate change worsens, it will only increase displacement in the future, and large-scale displacements can have devastating effects on people. The UNHCR noted that Afghanistan is one of the most disaster-prone countries globally, considering most of its provinces have been struck by at least one natural disaster in the last 30 years (UN, 2021). This does not consider that Afghanistan is also ranked the least peaceful globally due to the persistent conflict that has inflicted the country for the last couple of decades. The conflict has led to the deaths and injuries of thousands and the displacements of millions (UN, 2021).
How can we do our part to help our refugee communities who are afflicted by climate change? Many people who care about fighting against climate change often worry that their individual efforts will not do much to affect such a large-scale phenomenon that are affecting people everywhere. However, that is not true--a collective of individual efforts can indeed make a difference, and it often starts with education, awareness, and advocacy. This could mean talking to friends and family about the devastating effects of climate change and how they can do their part to reduce their carbon footprint by making minor changes in their lifestyle, one step at a time. It could also mean talking to your local representatives and raising proposals and initiatives for environmental sustainability. You can also consider doing research on non-profit organizations that focus on providing aid to refugees abroad and donating to them--or even better, you can start a local fundraiser to raise money for these organizations. Every effort, even from a single individual, is better than no effort at all--if you want to make a change, then it starts with you.
References
Ferris, E. (2014, May 21). Climate change is displacing people now: Alarmists vs. skeptics. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/planetpolicy/2014/05/21/climate-change-is-displacing-people-now-alarmists-vs-skeptics/
Common Dreams. (2021, March 18). 10 million climate refugees in past six months: Red Cross calls for urgent international help. EcoWatch. https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-refugees-red-cross-2651129063.html
Wilson, T. (2015, June 16). Adapting to global change: climate displacement, mega-disasters, and the next generation of leaders. New Security Beat. https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2015/06/adapting-global-change-climate-displacement-disasters-generation-leaders/
United Nations. (2021, April 22). Climate change link to displacement of most vulnerable is clear: UNHCR. UN News Global perspective Human stories. https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/04/1090432
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2020). Climate change and disaster displacement. Environment, Disasters, and Climate Change. https://www.unhcr.org/climate-change-and-disasters.html