CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT IN THE NEWS
Climate change will be the third iteration of displacement inflicted on Indigenous communities by the United States, all of which threaten the enjoyment of the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“Climate change is driving displacement and increasing the vulnerability of those already forced to flee. Forcibly displaced and stateless people are on the front lines of the climate emergency. Many are living in climate “hotspots” where they typically lack the resources to adapt to an increasingly inhospitable environment. The dynamics of poverty, food insecurity, climate change, conflict and displacement are increasingly interconnected and mutually reinforcing, driving more and more people to search for safety and security.”
WFP Executive Director David Beasley has emphasized that the food crisis “is not because of war or conflict, this is because of climate change.” Madagascar’s global share of emissions is only 0.01%, yet the people there are currently experiencing some of the worst effects.
Aid alone has not shown to be a viable long term solution. Under the Obama administration, then VP Biden’s multi-million dollar economic development package intended to stimulate local growth and slow migration did the exact opposite, showcased by record migrant arrivals in 2019. That aid package proved what many experts have pointed to throughout the years: international aid does not always reach those most in need.
Last month, a report by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), revealed a shocking new statistic: 10.3 million people had been displaced due to climate change-induced events in just the last six months. A further 2.3 million more were displaced by conflict, indicating the vast majority of internal displacement is now triggered by climate change. Over 60% of those displaced were from countries in Asia that produced less than one percent of the total global CO2 emissions in 2019, further supporting climate justice calls that the countries least responsible for the climate crisis are amongst the most vulnerable to its consequences.
Increasingly the Catholic Church has taken steps to highlight to world leaders the plight of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. As we noted in a previous Spotlight article, Pope Francis created and presides over a migrants and refugees section of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, in order to lead initiatives for the millions forcibly displaced by war, natural disasters and climate change.
