The Reality of Climate Refugees

Here's a piece from our newest member of student writers, Matilda. It focuses on the devastating effects of climate change and how it is currently affecting many people around the globe, touching on Sustainable Development Goals number 13 (climate action), 1 (eradicating poverty) and 17 (partnerships for the goals). What once sounded like a science-fiction scenario with drastic weather changes is now becoming a reality for a lot of people, and yet, she feels that government's response doesn't match the gravity of the problem at hand and urges everyone to step forward and take action.

Scientists have been warning governments of the catastrophic effects of climate change for decades. One of the most pressing issues is the yet again continuing privilege of the West which would feel a small portion of the effects of mass climate change, while other countries suffer.

At the beginning of the 21st century, scientists revealed that ‘The current wave of extinction is rivalled only by the three large cataclysmic mass extinctions of the remote geological past.’ (Franz Broswimmer, Ecocide, 1). It was only a matter of time before the human race was threatened with extinction. But even that reality has not been enough to kick some governments into action, simply because it isn’t affecting them yet.

It’s very easy to maintain this out-of-sight out-of-mind ideology. But the truth is that an apocalyptic scenario is already the reality for many.

These effects include symptoms such as extreme temperatures, widespread drought, flooding due to rising sea levels, and an increase in extreme weather, just to name a few.

Soon there will be no way to avoid this responsibility as the populations of the countries that we are destroying become climate refugees and seek asylum across Europe and America.

Although I speak here in the future tense, the reality is that this is already happening, it’s just not on a big-enough scale for our government to be forced to address yet.

"Since 2009, an estimated one person every second has been displaced by a disaster, with an average of 22.5 million people displaced by climate - or weather-related events since 2008"– Global Report on Internal Displacement, 2018

These statistics are a reality, so why is no one talking about it?

People are often mislead by the idea of ‘natural disasters’. When a hurricane or flooding occurs we often put it down to natural weather patterns. To a certain extent the weather will always be violent and unpredictable. But this extreme weather is something that has been exacerbated and will continue to become more routine as our climate’s natural progress is altered by our poisoning of it.

Yet our governments are taking no emergency actions. Such a lack of action directly breaks the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Creating climate refugees reveals a ‘lack of climate action’; fails to ‘reduce inequalities’; fails to improve ‘life on land’ and increases ‘poverty’. How can this be ignored?

In May 2019, Torres Strait islanders revealed they would bring a human rights complaint against the Australian government over its inaction on climate change. Due to rising sea levels, the natives risk losing their homes, all because of the continual greed of others causing global warming.

Although one may think at first that their chances of success are slim, they have an excellent case. One Torres Strait resident said when asked about their situation"the government should be accountable for this part of the world".

"Advancing seas are already threatening homes, as well as damaging burial grounds and sacred cultural sites"

The reality is, this isn’t the only story. In Bangladesh, research predicts that sea levels will rise by up to 1.5m "on the Bangladesh coast by 2100". Increased flooding has already and irreversibly made their current way of life impossible to effectively maintain.

If we look at the most current example, Hurricane Dorian’s destruction of the Bahamas is an example of an increase in extreme weather. Yet governments are not tackling the elephant in the room, that they are partly to blame for the deaths and displacements of the people of the Bahamas.

The UN Chief described the destruction that left ‘at least 50 people dead’ and around 1,300 missing. He said, “we need to make sure that…countries like The Bahamas that do not contribute to climate change - but are in the first line of the devastating impacts of climate change - deserve international support, to be able to fully respond to the humanitarian emergency, but also for the reconstruction and the building resilience of the communities on the islands.”

But it’s not just the ones in the news. Other countries and regions already affected by climate change are the Alps; Sri Lanka; China; the Great Barrier Reef; Alaska; Uganda; the Arctic; Kribati; Northern Europe; Darfur. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Such a lack of action is reflective of our society today and how our governments are failing us. For them, it is more important to think of the short term benefits, the profit.

Our way of life is destroying people’s homes. We are not responsible, but we can take some responsibility for changing.