Blog #8: Environmental Migration: Climate Change Could Spawn Mass Migrations, Study Says

The Asian Development Bank is warning countries to prepare for mass migration due to environmental issues, says a recent report. A UN network of 2,000 scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts significant temperature increases, changing rain fall patterns, greater monsoon variability, a rise in sea-level, and more intense tropical cyclones in the Asia-Pacific. The scientists are also expecting these changes to accompany a rise in temperature across the planet caused by greenhouse gasses from burning fossil fuels for things like transportation and electricity. In 2010 and 2011, natural disasters displaced more than 42 million people from their homes in this region due to environmental issues. About one-third of Southeast Asia’s population lives in at-risk locations, including Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Although the scientists did not make any specific projections, because the numbers are difficult to estimate with migration decisions usually depending on a variety of factors including poverty, it is said that climate change is likely to become one of the major forces of migration in the 21st century.
Migration is one of the biggest issues today and has been for quite sometime. The reasons for people doing so around the world are complex and hard to keep track of. Unfortunately, in this situation, like many others in the past, migration is expected to be forced, in mass numbers, which normally begins occurring slowly until a natural disaster occurs, forcing the rest to migrate all at once. Although this is only a prediction, preparation is important, even if these predictions don’t actually occur. In many cases, mass migration causes hardships for many countries including lack of human resources and services to provide for the massive and sudden over population. It can also lead to an economic downfall due to the unknown amount time it will take to send these migrants back after such a disaster.
With so many people unable to work and in need of support, the host country usually provides welfare services that can eventually lead to debt and an economic deficit, which when worst come the worst, just like in Britain’s current situation, currencies can falter. Without the necessary preparations this can cause major issues for many of the host countries accepting these migrants. On the contrary, with successful preparation, countries affected by such disasters can organize successful housing, medical aid, and nutrition strategies to care for victims is mass quantities, avoiding the pressure to provide welfare services, like compensation funds or any other kind of “financial support”, or allowing them to over stay their welcome. Along with that, prepare for collaboration in rebuilding their communities so they can be sent back in a timely manner, after, of course, the disaster has ended.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/13/environmental-migration-climate-change_n_1340868.html