Climate change worsens refugees’ living conditions.

Friday 16 August 2024

Climate change has become a catalyst for forced displacement, posing a significant threat to human rights, according to a recent study conducted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The study highlights the intricate connection between climate change and the increasing number of individuals being displaced against their will. Severe weather patterns across the globe are resulting in the loss of livelihoods, escalating poverty levels, sparking conflicts between communities, and ultimately leading to forced displacement.

Statistics from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre reveal a staggering figure of over 376 million people worldwide who have been compelled to leave their homes due to floods, windstorms, earthquakes, or droughts since 2008. Shockingly, in 2022 alone, 32.6 million people faced displacement as a result of these natural disasters.

Refugees, pushed into overcrowded and isolated settlements, are particularly vulnerable to various climate-related hazards such as floods, droughts, and storms, further exacerbating their already dire living conditions.

EJIL: Talk! draws attention to the fact that these challenges are amplified by gender and socio-economic factors. For instance, in the Marshall Islands situated between Hawaii and the Philippines, droughts have hindered women from carrying out traditional gender-specific duties like cooking and laundry, leading to a rise in domestic violence cases.

Furthermore, scarcity of essential resources like water and fuel can escalate tensions between refugees and host communities, jeopardizing peaceful coexistence in these fragile settings.

Despite the evident repercussions of climate change-induced displacement, there remains a glaring gap in defining and addressing climate refugees. The 1951 Refugee Convention fails to provide protection to individuals displaced solely due to climate-related factors.

António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General and former UN High Commissioner for Refugees, emphasised the critical role of climate change in exacerbating forced displacement. He remarked, ‘Climate change has emerged as a key factor amplifying all other causes of involuntary migration.’

Guterres highlighted the predicament faced by those impacted by climate-induced displacement, stating that the majority tend to remain within their own countries as internally displaced persons. However, should they cross borders seeking refuge, they are not recognised as refugees under the existing legal framework.

‘These individuals are not your typical migrants who relocate voluntarily. As victims of forced displacement excluded from the protection offered to refugees, they find themselves in a legal limbo,’ Guterres concluded.

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