Climate change has become an undisputed reality of our times.. Skip to main content

Climate change has become an undisputed reality of our times..

By May 2, 2022May 22nd, 2023Geography, GS1, Mains Answer Writing

Climate change has become an undisputed reality of our times. The greatest single change of climate change might be on human migration – with millions of people replaced and referred to as “Climate Migrants” Discuss the issues and suggest remedial measures for their settlement.

    • Climate change is expected to be the largest driver of displacement of human population by the year 2050, with most adverse impact on Climate Migrants, United Nations believe that more people are displaced due to climate change than due to war.
    • Future forecasts vary from 25 million at present to 1 billion environmental migrants by 2050. Example – Tuvalu a small island nation is likely to be under water in less than 40 years.

    Issues associated with climate migrants are –

    • No legal or statutory protection- Climate migrants are not covered under any refugee convention or treaty which leave them in void without any protection.
    • Disruption of balance on the existing Infrastructure – Incoming climate Migrants will put an additional pressure on the infrastructure which can ultimately lead to functional collapse.
    • Widening Rich-Poor divide – Poor being the most vulnerable and most displaced by climate change will ultimately lead to widening Rich-Poor divide.

    Remedial measures that needs to be taken –

    • Finalizing the Paris Climate deal and other such international conventions and treaties which can arrest the advancing climate change phenomenon.
    • Providing the legal status to migrants under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992).
    • Setting up a specialized and separate fund for the Climate Migrants such as the Pacific Possible Program of the World Bank, or setting up an International Compensation Commission for the same.
    • Diversifying the infrastructure plans for the future with the additional component of Climate Migrants and its accommodation- so that there is no disruption in the future