With the Earth’s climate changing at a rate that has surpassed most scientific forecasts, some communities are suffering disasters from the alarming results of climate change (UNHCR, 2017). The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) also vocalizes that the people who are displaced across borders because of climate change may not meet the criteria of being a refugee. That brings up a question that has many people divided. Should the United Nations change the definition of a refugee to include climate refugees? Taking my knowledge about refugees and applying it to this situation, I argue that the definition should be changed to accommodate climate refugees.
Climate refugees who have nowhere to go are a prisoner to their own home. As the environmental conditions keep plummeting, it seems that the lives of the people in these affected areas will plummet as well. Marine Franck, a climate change officer at the UN’s refugee agency, voiced that “we don’t call them climate refugees for the reason that they are not covered by the 1951 [Refugee] Convention” (Lieberman, 2015, para 4). Although innocent people are becoming homeless due to the consequences of climate change, they cannot be considered a refugee due to the fact that they are not being forced to leave because of war or persecution. Climate refugees need protection and assistance, just like any other refugee. Climate refugees are facing these disasters due to the repercussions of human-led industrialization (ReliefWeb, 2009). All of these issues are out of their hands, and there was nothing they could do to prevent this from happening.
Climate refugees are unable to be resettled in a camp like refugees. Because of this, climate change in Bangladesh has started a mass migration (Glennon, 2017). Glennon also wrote that in recent years alone, erosion of the riverbanks has displaced around 50,000 to 200,000 people every year. If we don’t do anything about it now, the problem will get worse. By 2050, it’s estimated that 50 million residents of Bangladesh will have fled the country if sea levels keep rising as expected (Harris, 2014). The problem of Bangladesh, like many other countries, is its’ location. “Nearly one-quarter of Bangladesh is less than seven feet above sea level; two-thirds of the country is less than 15 feet above sea level” (Glennon, 2017, para 7). Not only will they suffer from disaster of the land, but also of their food and water supplies. Rain patterns could leave some areas completely under water and other areas without enough water to generate power, have irrigation for their fertile land, or to even have clean drinking water (The World Bank, 2013).
Not only is Bangladesh suffering, but so are countries all around the world. This topic can soon hit close to home for many people, as even Louisiana is losing around 65 square kilometers to the sea every year (National Geographic Society, 2012). The article posted by the National Geographic Society also stated major coastal cities in low-lying areas that are vulnerable to this sea level rise, and that includes Manhattan, London, Shanghai, Hamburg, Bangkok, Jakarta, Mumbai, Manila, and Buenos Aires, and that’s not even all of them. Some people may choose not to learn about the topic of climate refugees due to the fact that they don’t think it impacts them, but soon those people might find out the unfortunate way when their own land is lost and resources aren’t as easy to access.
A major problem within all of this is that the UNHCR is not willing to change its 1951 mandate of The Refugee Convention (Borger, 2008). On the other hand, organizations like the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) are trying to increase public awareness on climate refugees and give them support and protection (Environmental Justice Foundation, n.d.). The EJF also lists on their website that they support efforts of the global climate agreement agreed in Paris and their efforts to raise the emission reduction pledges. Change is happening slowly, but surely. If more organizations and people had a mindset like the EJF, then we would be able to make a difference for the lives of climate refugees more rapidly.
While many are torn between whether the United Nations change the definition of a refugee to include climate refugees or not, my stance has stayed the same. It’s not fair to say climate refugees cannot be considered refugees. They are not migrating voluntarily, they are not living in the only countries that produce carbon emissions, and all they are asking for is protection. I think it’s important that The Refugee Convention is modified in order to allow climate refugees to get the help they desire. Issues due to climate change keep getting worse, and honestly, it’s irreversible. If we can act now, we reduce the damage that is yet to come. Climate refugees, like all refugees, should be protected and respected.