There are a couple of reasons why Climate change is creating a new category of refugee. First, climate change contributes to rising seas, as ocean water warms, it expands. That along with simultaneous increased melting of the world’s mountain glaciers and the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, contributes to rising sea levels. This is one factor producing ‘climate change refugees’ around the world. Second factor includes strong hurricanes caused by climate change. The warming atmosphere transfers heat to ocean water, which in turn transfers heat to storms. This strengthens and expands the storms. Because warmer water evaporates more readily, it also results in greater amounts of rainfall. Bangladesh is a perfect case study, which shows the increase in the rainfall and the emerging distastes it has created, such as people’s homes being destroyed.
Climate Change Refugees do not fit the definition of refugees set out in the UN Convention, people displaced by the effects of climate change have often been termed “climate refugees” or “climate change refugees”. The term ‘ environmental refugee is also commonly used and an estimated 25 million people are currently be classified as such.
The alarming predictions made by the UN, charities and some environmentalists, that between 200 million and 1 billion people could flood across international borders to escape the impacts of climate change in the next 40 years are realistic. Case studies from Bolivia, Senegal and Tanzania, three countries that are said to be prone to suffering the effects of climate change, show that people affected by environmental degradation rarely move across borders. Instead, they adapt to new circumstances by moving short distances for short periods, often to cities.
Millions of people live in places that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. They face extreme weather conditions such as droughts or floods. Their lives and livelihoods might be threatened in a new ways and create new vulnerabilities. To conclude, I believe that the UN should adopt a new definition for refugees which recognises the displacement of environmental refugees.
