Disasters and displacement in a changing climate 25 (original) (raw)
Related papers
2015
West Africa has a very mobile population and high vulnerability to natural hazards. It also, however, has a number of regional cooperation agreements and may therefore be a useful testing ground for addressing cross-border disaster displacement. Nearly all the states of West Africa have been incorporated into a relatively unified political space within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), 1 making the region politically much less fragmented than many other parts of the world. With the resultant porous borders, the concept of 'cross-border' movement in this context is relatively loose and the area has an unusually high level of intra-regional migration-over 58% of migration in West Africa takes place within the region.
Disasters and Displacement: Gaps in Protection
Natural disasters, particularly those related to climate change, are fast becoming a leading cause of forced displacement although conceptual, normative and institutional frameworks to provide human rights protection to the environmentally displaced are not yet in place. This article discusses the human rights and protection dimensions of disaster-induced displacement, identifies the major challenges to protecting disaster victims, and proposes ways forward. The authors argue that while most environmentally displaced persons are expected to remain within their own countries, there is a lack of clarity about the status and protection needs of those uprooted by environmental degradation and other ‘slow-onset’ disasters as opposed to those displaced by ‘sudden-onset’ disasters. By far the biggest protection gap exists for those who cross borders. These individuals do not generally qualify as refugees under the 1951 Refugee Convention, there is no normative framework to address their specific needs and vulnerabilities and States have not been willing to commit to more than temporary protection on an ad hoc basis. The need is now critical for new approaches to be developed for the environmentally displaced, including expanded normative and institutional frameworks, comprehensive national policies, national and international monitoring, rights training, and more effective ways of dealing with governments that fail to protect their populations.
Disaster, Displacement and International Law: Legal Protections in the Context of a Changing Climate
Politics & Governance, 2020
As the number of people displaced by disaster reaches record highs, this article describes how international law is relevant to disaster displacement, how refugee law is probably not the answer, and synthesises recent developments into contemporary application. New interpretations of international human rights law have advanced legal protections such that planning and preparedness to address future disasters now form an express component of states' international legal obligations. At the same time, climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, exacerbating factors that cause disaster and displacement and rendering the effective implementation of international law more difficult. The further 'othering' of migrants during the Covid-19 pandemic could stymie the realisation of protections as national governments close borders, anti-immigration sentiment is stoked, and economies decline.
Africa and Climate Change Refugees’ Quandary: Kenya's Perspective
Springer, 2018
Kenya has struggled for decades to eradicate poverty, curb famine, and mitigate weather-related hazards such as floods and droughts. These hazards are likely to be further compounded by climate change since temperature and rainfall in Kenya, are expected to increase at a range of 2.5 °C–3 °C, and 5–20% respectively, by the end of the century. Moreover, research shows that a 30 cm sea-level rise would submerge 17% of the Kenya coastal region. Given that Kenya lies in the epicenter of the equator, and that two-thirds of her landmass is semi-arid, she is likely to experience extreme weather patterns. In a country pigeonholed by land ownership conflict, the internally environmentally displaced persons will probably intensify this conflict. Trans-boundary forced migration within East Africa will unfurl other predicaments because there is no legal framework protecting or recognizing environmental refugees. Using the case studies of Mandera and Turkana counties, we noted that environmental internally displaced persons are likely to intensify cattle raid attacks as well as tribal and land ownership conflicts. The research also observed that there is a protection gap of climate change/environmental refugees internationally. The research recommends national and regional agreements protecting the rights of environmental refugees, which should set the foundation for an international convention.
International Protection, Disasters and Climate Change
International Journal of Refugee Law, 2024
Environmental factors contribute significantly to human movement. Even the earliest migrations from Africa into Eurasia reflected the "push" of environmental factors. 1 Yet, since at least the 1970s, terms like "environmental refugees" and "climate refugees" have been increasingly used as (legally inaccurate) labels for people forced to leave their homes due to disasters and the adverse effects of climate change. 2 It is certainly true that the scale of displacement in disaster situations can be substantial. Sudden-onset disasters linked to natural hazards, such as storms, flooding, volcanic eruptions and wildfires, triggered an estimated 336.7 million incidents of internal displacement between 2009 and 2022 worldwide. 3 Slow-onset disasters, such as drought and desertification, also add significantly to internal migration and displacement trends. 4 Moreover, although displacement in disaster contexts appears mainly to take place within countries, international mobility dynamics are also documented in the context of both sudden-onset
Climate crisis and displacement -from commitment to action
Forced Migration Review, 2022
Significant progress has been made in focusing international attention on the need to address displacement in the context of disasters and the adverse effects of climate change. Despite a wide range of global policy frameworks, however, actions being taken are not yet having a sufficiently deep and far-reaching impact. Displacements associated with climateand weather-related hazards have reached levels unprecedented in modern times. The intensity and frequency of hazards that can trigger displacement are increasing, eroding fragile livelihoods and ecosystems, aggravating existing vulnerability and undermining resilience. Since 2008, an average of 24.5 million new disaster-related internal displacements per year have been recorded globally, with almost 90% of these associated with weather-related hazards such as floods, storms and droughts. 1 Although the bulk of human mobility in the context of disasters and the adverse effects of climate change occurs within national borders, people may also cross national borders to look for safety abroad. In 2021, for instance, Angolans fleeing drought found refuge in Namibia where, at the request of the government, the Namibia Red Cross Society provided them with assistance. 2 Others moving away from harm, however, may find themselves in a place where their rights are not recognised or protected, potentially trapped in their new location, without assistance and support to return home or to build a new life in a new place.
Climate-Induced Displacement and Climate Disaster Law: Barriers and Opportunities
This chapter considers climate-induced migration and displacement following climate disasters. It focuses on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation; relocation and resettlement in the event of displacement; and financing, compensation and risk transfer. It also highlights three major new initiatives which are likely to better protect the rights of climate displaced persons including: the new synergies between the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, and the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals; the 2016 Task Force on Displacement under Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage; and the proposed 2018 UN Global compact for safe and orderly and regular migration.
Introduction: Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons in Africa
Journal of African Law, 2021
On 10 September 2019, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa (OAU Refugee Convention) turned 50, while on 23 October 2019 the African Union (AU) Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) turned 10. It is against this backdrop that the designation by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government of 2019 as the Year of Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Africa, is significant.