Despite the difficulties in quantifying accurately the number of persons externally displaced because of climate disasters, studies show that external migration linked to climate disasters will most probably increase in the coming years. This will only add to the pressure on refugee agencies and migration policies that are already under stress because of the ongoing migration crisis notably in Europe since 2015. Whether it is internal or external, forced displacement of people can lead to conflict and tension with those already living on the destination land. In 2019, the IPCC explained that displacement can create competition for food, clean water access and jobs, whilst also exacerbating pre-existing ethnic tension or gender violence and worsening the situation in sensitive regions affected by wars and violence.
The IEP published its third annual Ecological Threat Report in October 2022, as part of its continued task of measuring and monitoring the level of ecological threats faced by vulnerable countries, while providing projections for 2050. Combining comprehensive ecological data with measures of resilience, the report lists the countries that are least likely to withstand the effects of climate disasters and ecological shocks in the coming decades. Additionally, the report finds that over 1 billion people live in countries where the state’s ability to cope with projected ecological events by 2050 is seen as insufficient. According to the report, North/sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and South Asia are the regions that are most strongly exposed to these ecological shocks, which include food insecurity, water risk and natural disasters.
Be the first to write a comment.