Climate migration is the movement of people who are forced or choose to leave their homes, either temporarily or permanently, primarily due to sudden or gradual environmental changes caused by the climate crisis. This movement can occur within a country or across international borders. Causes and types of climate migration. Climate migration can be driven by different kinds of environmental changes, often combining with other socioeconomic factors like poverty, conflict, and a lack of resources:
Sudden-onset disasters: These are events that occur suddenly and often cause temporary, internal displacement within a country. Examples include hurricanes, severe floods, and wildfires.
Slow-onset changes: These are gradual changes that can force permanent or cross-border migration as areas become uninhabitable or livelihoods become unsustainable. Examples include:
Sea-level rise and coastal erosion
Prolonged droughts and desertification
Changing rainfall patterns leading to crop failure and food insecurity
Extreme heat
Climate migrants vs. refugees
While the term “climate refugee” is sometimes used by the media, climate migrants are not formally recognized as refugees under international law.
The 1951 UN Refugee Convention defines a refugee as someone fleeing persecution based on race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion.
Since the environment is not considered a persecuting agent in this legal definition, those fleeing climate stressors are not technically refugees.
Advocates argue that this 70-year-old definition may need revision as the climate crisis worsens and migration increases. Global scale and examples
The majority of climate migrants move within their own countries, often from rural areas to urban centers.
Some World Bank estimates suggest that between 44 and 216 million people could become internal climate migrants by 2050.
The UNHCR estimates that an average of 21.5 million people have been displaced annually by weather-related events since 2008.
Examples of climate migration and displacement include:
In the United States, communities on Louisiana's Isle de Jean Charles have been relocated due to coastal erosion.
In Central America's "dry corridor," droughts and crop failures contribute to migration toward the U.S. and urban centers.
Rural populations in Bangladesh are migrating to cities like Dhaka due to flooding and saline water intrusion.
In Pakistan, severe flooding in 2022 displaced millions internally and compounded economic issues that led to cross-border migration