The effects of climate change on human migration are widespread. In recent years, people have fled worsening sea level rise, droughts, heat waves, and floods. The environmental changes have forced vulnerable communities from their homes and businesses as they search for safer ground and solutions. Take a closer look at climate-induced migrations worldwide and how different countries address them.
The Worldwide Effect of Climate Change on Human Migration
Climate change has impacted the world differently, with some nations faring better than others. However, developing countries have grappled with more environmental issues, leading to a mass exodus of people seeking refuge in unaffected areas. Here is the effect of climate change on human migration globally.
Americas
United States coastlines are highly susceptible to climate change events, including intensifying hurricanes and flooding. As of 2020, 129 million people live in coastal communities — 40% of the population.
Researchers estimate about 13.1 million people will migrate from U.S. coastal zones during the 21st century due to considerable land loss. The estimates do not take resilience planning and infrastructural upgrades into account.
In South America, climate-driven disasters displaced 2,205,284 people between 2017 and 2021, many of whom faced severe storms and flooding. However, South American nations are also vulnerable to droughts and rising sea levels, forcing people away from their homes.
Europe
From a rapidly changing environment to war-struck countries, Europe has quickly become a home for refugees from other continents. However, it also experiences widespread human migration, from increasing flood events to record-breaking heat waves.
According to the European Parliamentary Research Service, 664.2 people per 1 million have been displaced in France in 2022, while Spain had 653.8 displacements per million. Officials have attributed this to increasing environmental disasters.
For instance, Italy’s 2023 flood event in the Emilia-Romagna region left 36,000 people displaced and took the lives of 14. Sadly, these events will continue as climate-induced weather and natural disasters occur.
Africa
Prolonged drought and flooding are common in various parts of Africa, ruining crops, drying up water resources and leaving populations searching for safety elsewhere. Studies predict 38.5 million people will migrate to Basin countries because of climate change by 2050, with Tanzania and Uganda seeing the most migrants — 16.6 million and 12 million, respectively.
Although dry seasons are a continuous problem throughout the continent, flooding in the Horn of Africa has been just as detrimental. Over 1 million people in Somalia have been displaced as a climatic rainy season hit the region for the fourth time. Flooding has left 20.5 million people food insecure, with 16 million unable to access clean water.
Asia and the Pacific
Countries in Asia and the Pacific also grapple with the effect of climate change on human migration. A populous nation like India expects 45 million people to migrate by 2050 due to the changing environment. Of course, this phenomenon will look different in various regions due to the country’s diverse geography.
Oceania — including Australia and New Zealand — have also felt the wrath of climate change. In fact, rising sea levels along the Pacific island of Kiribati have displaced individuals, ruined crops, and driven tensions amid dwindling resources. Experts predict the island will be uninhabitable in 10-15 years, leaving its 50,000 residents scrambling to make roots in another land.
Governments Respond to Climate-Driven Migration
Countries have not taken climate-driven human migration lightly, tackling the direst environmental, economic, and social issues to safeguard vulnerable people. For example, the U.S. pledged to curb greenhouse gases by 50% within eight years, aiming for net zero by 2050. Is it achievable? Time will tell, but the Inflation Reduction Act will make renewable energy and electric vehicles more attainable, lessening climate impacts.
Other nations are managing environmental migration differently. In recent years, Germany has become a haven for migrants, receiving 244,000 applications from asylum seekers in 2022. About 6,000 people came to the country through resettlement programs and initiatives in other nations.
Meanwhile, Senegal has taken a different approach to protecting its population from displacement. The small fishing island, comprised of 200,000 people, is building a sea wall to protect against rising sea levels. This comes after harsh waves hit its coastlines in 2017, 2018, and 2019, destroying infrastructure and upending people’s livelihoods.
Back in the Pacific, Fiji is the first country to plan relocations in the next 10-50 years on a national scale. Six Fijian islands have already undergone relocation, with another 42 intended in the next 5-10 years.
Not every country is as focused on welcoming or protecting people amid environmental migration. Per Australia’s Migration Act of 1958, immigrants without a visa are detained indefinitely or until they’ve obtained permission to be there. The “indefinite” nature of the law has led to negative discourse from those who claim it’s too harsh.
Migrations Will Increase as Climate Change Worsens
As natural disasters and other climate-driven events become more frequent, the world can expect more people to migrate to other areas. This will greatly impact resource allocation, economic growth, and pressures on natural resources. Countries must address environmental issues head-on to lessen the blow of a mass exodus.
Beth Rush is the green wellness editor at Body+Mind. She has more than five years of experience writing and editing articles covering topics like sustainable transit and the importance of green spaces in urban planning. You can find Beth on Twitter @bodymindmag. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth!
Image by Víctor Mendoza
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