2B.10C - Environmental Refugees
Climate change may create environmental refugees in some areas. (wow edexcel)
Environmental refugees are those forced to leave their homes because of natural processes, including sudden ones such as landslides or gradual ones such as erosion or rising sea levels. It's not a term used by the UN High Commission for Refugees. It includes refugees and internally displaced people.
IPCC predicts that climate change will produce a sea level rise of 26-82 cm by 2100, which would create environmental refugees by:
The places most at risk from the sea level rise predicted by 2100 are the Maldives, Tuvalu, the Seychelles and Barbados.
The worst-case scenario for Tuvalu and parts of the Maldives is that some, or all islands will have to be abandoned, creating environmental refugees.
Hurricane Katrina, USA, 2005
Typhoon Haiyan, 2013
IPCC predicts that climate change will produce a sea level rise of 26-82 cm by 2100, which would create environmental refugees by:
- Flooding
- Salt water encroachment (into groundwater, for drinking, irrigation and industry)
- Coral bleaching (which acts as a sea defence)
The places most at risk from the sea level rise predicted by 2100 are the Maldives, Tuvalu, the Seychelles and Barbados.
- Tuvalu's highest point is 4.5 metres above sea level, and most land is only 1-2 m above
- New Zealand grants residency to 75 Tuvalu citizens each year under the Pacific Access Category Ballot as rising sea levels decrease its land area.
- In 2014 New Zealand courts granted the Alesana family permanent residence on their basis as 'climate change refugees'
- 80% of people in the Seychelles live and work at the coast
- Coral reefs, which act as a natural coastal defence against erosion, are being destroyed by global warming-induced coral bleaching
- Water supply is limited and at risk from salt-water incursion as sea level rises and groundwater is over-used
- They have small and narrow economies based on tourism and fishing, which is easily disrupted.
- They have high population densities and very limited space, so no opportunity for relocation.
- Developing or emerging countries lack the funds to finance coastal defences to protect huge lengths of coastline.
- Maldives have an average height of 1.5 m above sea level, but the population of 400,000 is too large to be easily accommodated elsewhere. Its government is negotiating with India, Sri Lanka and Australia to buy land.
The worst-case scenario for Tuvalu and parts of the Maldives is that some, or all islands will have to be abandoned, creating environmental refugees.
Hurricane Katrina, USA, 2005
- Created 1 million environmental refugees when a 7 m storm surge flooded New Orleans
- Most were internally displaced within the USA but 30% did not return to New Orleans
Typhoon Haiyan, 2013
- This and other possibly climate change driven storm events since 2008 have produced 6.8 million internally displaced environmental refugees