Category: International

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Violence Against Women and Girls in the Aftermath of Climate Disasters

gray concrete road between brown trees under blue sky during daytime

15 July 2021 – by Atoosa Gitiforoz

Post disaster violence against women and girls (VAWG) increases due to the exacerbation of pre-existing gender inequalities, failures of law enforcement and exposure to high-risk environments. 

Gender-sensitive risk reduction policies and the inclusion of women in disaster management are crucial measures in reducing post disaster VAWG and in treating health consequences of climate disasters that primarily impact women. 

‘Women and girls bear a disproportionate burden of disaster-related impacts’. Mortality rates are higher for women than men – in the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone, 90% of deaths were women. The exacerbation of VAWG includes intimate partner violence, sexual violence, female genital mutilation, honour killings and human trafficking. For example, the 2011 Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand saw a 40 per cent increase in levels of rape in rural areas. In Australia, VAWG is five times higher in households impacted by bushfires.

Economic insecurity following climate disasters is another factor that increases VAWG. Following the disaster in Haiti, poverty lead to men looting homes and attacking women. South Asian countries also see higher rates of child marriage as a result of post-disaster poverty. Prolonged reconstruction of people’s homes, that leave people displaced in camps and shelters, also leads to women and girls being left at a heightened risk of violence. Poor law enforcement in temporary shelters and camps also allow VAWG to happen with little to no consequences for perpetrators. 

VAWG as a public health issue and disaster management concern needs to be addressed within policy making, planning and practice. The absence of women’s perspectives in disaster management increases the risk of post-disaster VAWG. Whilst the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 has pledged to be gender inclusive in policy, strategy and practice, the inclusion of women in disaster management on local levels is also needed.

Studies that look at the relationship between long-term climate related damage to environments and VAWG are necessary to understand the more nuanced consequences of environmental degradation.

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Record Number of People Internally Displaced Due to Extreme Weather Events in 2020

ocean wave

12 July 2021 – by Evelyn Workman

Extreme weather events displaced three times as many people as violent conflicts in 2020, according to figures published in a report by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). The report studies the number of displacements happening within borders each year. 

The report, which is released annually, studies the number of displacements happening within borders each year. It reported that there were at least 40 million new internal displacements recorded last year, which is the highest annual figure in 10 years. 30 million of these displacements were the result of natural disasters, such as floods and storms. The other 10 million new displacements were driven by violence and conflict. The figures refer to the total number of times people were forced to flee, rather than the overall number of people.

The report found that 80% of people forced from their homes in 2020 were in Africa and Asia. In Africa most new displacements were due to conflict. Violence in countries such as Burkina Faso and Mozambique and new wars erupting in countries like Ethiopia have caused 6.8 million displacements in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, heavy rainfall brought flooding and crop damage to countries already affected by violence, such as Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Niger, forcing people who were already displaced to flee again, according to the report. Extreme weather related disasters of this nature resulted in 4.3 million displacements in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2020. 

In Asia, most displacement was caused by extreme weather events. For example, Cyclone Amphan triggered around five million displacements across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Myanmar. The Atlantic hurricane season was also the most active on record last year, and included Hurricanes Eta and Iota which wreaked havoc across Central America, causing many people to flee coastal areas where damage was the greatest. 

The climate crisis is expected to displace more people in the future due to extreme weather events, and longer-term climate related consequences such as crop failure. It is understood that a warming climate is exacerbating extreme weather events by making them occur more frequently and more intensely. The IDMC report stated, “Every year, millions of people are forced to flee their homes because of conflict and violence. Disasters and the effects of climate change regularly trigger new and secondary displacement, undermining people’s security and wellbeing. The scale of displacement worldwide is increasing, and most of it is happening within countries’ borders.”

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Sustainable Climate Migration Strategy Could Bolster Global Agricultural Production

selective focus photo of wheat field

8 July 2021 – by Ben St. Laurent

The latest research indicates that climate change could put a third of global food production at risk under high emission scenarios. According to this report, “[t]he most vulnerable areas are the ones at risk of leaving [Safe Climate Spaces] with low resilience to cope with the change, particularly South and Southeast Asia and Africa’s Sudano-Sahelian Zone. The Sudano-Sahelian Zone is a bioclimatic belt extending from the southern edge of the Sahara Desert into the Sub-Saharan savannahs of many African countries. In Ghana, worsening climatic conditions have already displaced many agricultural workers from the Sudano-Sahelian Zone in Ghana’s Upper West Region. The Water & Development Research Group at Aalto University indicated that these trends in agricultural migration, if planned for sustainably, could provide a solution to potential decreases in crop yields.

A study published in Nature Communications expands on the concept of ‘crop migration’ —  whereby agricultural workers migrate to more suitable areas for cultivation, which mitigates damaging impacts of climate change on crop yield. But when unplanned, climate displacement creates refugees prone to higher rates of unemployment, homelessness, and poverty. The researchers conclude that crop migration is substantially responsible for maintaining crop yields in the face of changes to the climate sustained over the past few decades. But they warn that “continued migration may incur substantial environmental costs and will depend on socio-economic and political factors in addition to land suitability and climate.” 

Current projections indicate that climate change is likely to raise global temperatures above the 2°C goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement. However, climate change will have differing effects on agriculture in various regions. Shifts in the winemaking industry illustrate this phenomenon clearly. While grape cultivation is expanding to include regions that have historically been too cold, vineyards in California and Australia have been devastated by wildfires which have displaced agricultural workers. While crop migration can help maintain current levels of agricultural production, the lack of supportive policy leads to unsustainable outcomes for migrants. Without such policies, current trends in crop migration could collapse, resulting in more climate refugees and reduced global agricultural production.

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Sustainable Climate Migration Strategy Could Bolster Global Agricultural Production

31 May 2021 – by Ben St. Laurent

The latest research indicates that climate change could put a third of global food production at risk under high emission scenarios. According to this report, “[t]he most vulnerable areas are the ones at risk of leaving [Safe Climate Spaces] with low resilience to cope with the change, particularly South and Southeast Asia and Africa’s Sudano-Sahelian Zone. The Sudano-Sahelian Zone is a bioclimatic belt extending from the southern edge of the Sahara Desert into the Sub-Saharan savannahs of many African countries. In Ghana, worsening climatic conditions have already displaced many agricultural workers from the Sudano-Sahelian Zone in Ghana’s Upper West Region. The Water & Development Research Group at Aalto University indicated that these trends in agricultural migration, if planned for sustainably, could provide a solution to potential decreases in crop yields.

A study published in Nature Communications expands on the concept of ‘crop migration’ —  whereby agricultural workers migrate to more suitable areas for cultivation, which mitigates damaging impacts of climate change on crop yield. But when unplanned, climate displacement creates refugees prone to higher rates of unemployment, homelessness, and poverty. The researchers conclude that crop migration is substantially responsible for maintaining crop yields in the face of changes to the climate sustained over the past few decades. But they warn that “continued migration may incur substantial environmental costs and will depend on socio-economic and political factors in addition to land suitability and climate.”

Current projections indicate that climate change is likely to raise global temperatures above the 2°C goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement. However, climate change will have differing effects on agriculture in various regions. Shifts in the winemaking industry illustrate this phenomenon clearly. While grape cultivation is expanding to include regions that have historically been too cold, vineyards in California and Australia have been devastated by wildfires which have displaced agricultural workers. While crop migration can help maintain current levels of agricultural production, the lack of supportive policy leads to unsustainable outcomes for migrants. Without such policies, current trends in crop migration could collapse, resulting in more climate refugees and reduced global agricultural production.

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Study Reveals the Importance of Considering the Impact Climate Action Has on Global Poverty

18 May 2021 – by Evelyn Workman

It is well understood that less economically developed countries will be impacted harder by climate change compared to more developed countries. However, climate action to combat climate change could also worsen poverty by increasing prices for basic necessities, i.e. land-mitigation measures could drive up food prices. In addition, at the international level, a uniform carbon price would lead to higher relative policy costs for developing countries.

A new study has examined the ways in which climate policies could also help to reduce extreme poverty, rather than exacerbate it. The study’s researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany found that if socioeconomic efforts to reduce global poverty are continued at the current rate, then 350 million people globally will remain in poverty by 2030, with a large majority of them in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The study predicts that ambitious climate policies introduced to meet the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement could push this number up by 50 million. However, the authors stress that if ‘progressive redistribution’ is considered in climate policies, this could instead lead to a small reduction in global poverty by about 6 million people. ‘Progressive redistribution’ means that countries would redistribute revenues from carbon tax back to all their citizens implemented as an equal-per-capita climate dividend.

However, despite this overall decrease in global poverty, the researcher calculated that this ‘progressive redistribution’ strategy could result in sub-Saharan Africa becoming poorer, with 10 million more people in this region being pushed into extreme poverty. To counteract this negative consequence to sub-Saharan African countries, the authors suggest the implementation of an international finance scheme whereby developed countries redistribute 5% of their carbon carbon revenues to sub-Saharan countries. This scheme could result in 30 million less people in extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, and 45 million less people globally in extreme poverty, by 2030, compared to the current trends.

This research highlights the importance of considering other sustainable development goals (i.e. eradicating extreme poverty) when undertaking climate action, in order to achieve climate change mitigation in a fair and equitable way for all people.

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Gender Equality Key to Mitigate Climate Change

17 May 2021 – by Atoosa Gitiforoz

The Nature Climate Change journal released an article on Thursday 6th May 21, detailing findings that demonstrate the importance of gender equality in mitigating climate change. Collated evidence from eighteen sources show how conservation, natural resource management, the protection of Indigenous peoples’ tenure rights and forest-dependent communities can only be achieved with the participation of women in decision-making processes on both a local and governmental level.

The article points to human rights abuses and the lack of women’s involvement in climate programmes as driving factors in forest destruction and the failure of decision makers to address climate related issues that primarily damage the lives of women and Indigenous peoples: ‘In the Brazilian Amazon, for example, deforestation on lands securely held by Indigenous peoples was, on average, 150% lower than in other comparable areas.’

Plantation companies have not been held accountable by governments for causing damage to property, food and a healthy environment – which all disproportionately affect women. Rural women are among the least likely to be included in decision-making about land and forest management, yet ‘women are also on the frontlines protecting forests from destruction’.

Differences in gender roles across many communities impacted by climate change has meant that women often use forest products to support their families as opposed to exploiting them commercially. However, conservation and natural resource management have been slow to include women in their programmes. Involving more women in conservation projects in communities, where conservation is in women’s interests due to gender roles, is likely to lead to more sustainable practices. When governments fail to include women, they are at greater risk of being killed, falling victim to gender-based violence and/or be at the receiving end of legal harassment.

For example, ‘women are more likely to plant trees in their gardens to reduce the distance they walk to fetch firewood or to protect the forests, serving as an important food or medicinal source.’ Understanding and considering gender roles by including both men and women as stakeholders in climate change mitigation efforts, ensures that women partake in decision-making processes that directly impact their rights.

Evidence is presented in this article demonstrating that the inclusion of women in forest management groups brings positive outcomes for both government and conservation efforts. The article urges governments to incorporate this evidence within climate action plans, adapt policies that improve both the rights of women and forest-dependent communities, and bringing tenure security for local communities – in particular women.

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Sea-Level Rise Halved if Global Warming Limited to 1.5 Degrees Celsius

11 May 2021 – by Atoosa Gitiforoz

A recently published study by the Nature journal shows that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius ‘would halve the land ice contribution to twenty-first-century sea level rise’. The world currently, is on track to warm three degrees Celsius by 2100.

This study projects that reducing greenhouse emissions in line with pledges made under the Paris Agreement would have almost halved land ice contribution to sea level in 2100. This halving is demonstrated across three ice sources:

The ice sheet mass loss in Greenland would reduce by 70%, glacier mass losses would roughly halve and Antarctica would see little difference between different emissions scenarios, ‘owing to uncertainties in the competing processes of snowfall accumulation and ice loss.’

The Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest ice land and its melting is accelerating. Models are used to project the contribution of land ice to sea-level rise, but they cannot explore all outcomes due to uncertain projections, and use up large amounts of computational power. In the most extreme ice sheet loss scenario, Antarctic loss may be up to five times higher – increasing the median sea level to 42cm under current pledges.

Rises in sea level strongly influences the migration of people; 1 billion people may become climate refugees by 2050, largely due to melting ice caps, sea level rises, rising temperatures, drought and catastrophic effects of climate change. A recent study by Harvard University states that West Antarctic ice sheet melting may cause sea levels to rise higher than previously thought. New predictions say that in the case of complete ice sheet collapse, sea levels would rise by an additional 30% (within the next 1,000 years) than previous estimates.

Whilst estimating the number of climate migrants is difficult due to future changes in carbon emissions and coastal-adaptation choices, climate disasters currently do influence migration. Rising sea levels will inevitably lead to land becoming uninhabitable and hence increased displacement. The study published by Nature pointing to a global warming limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius having such as substantial impact on land ice contribution to sea levels, highlights how much damage and suffering can be averted through on-going efforts at mitigating climate change.

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Support to Refugees Key to Climate Disaster Resilience

3 May 2021 – by Atoosa Gitiforoz

The United Nations Refugee Agency has called on states to provide refuge to people displaced by climate change and to contribute to efforts at improving the resilience of at-risk states to future disasters. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), weather-related incidents have lead to an average of 21.5 million new displacements every year over the past decade. It is estimated that this figure could rise to 200 million by 2050.

The majority of displaced peoples as a result of climate disasters remain within their country’s borders, often in dangerous weather conditions. Only a small number seek international refuge. Over 1 billion people live in climate-related hazardous conditions where climate resilience is weak. Weather events such as storms and floods were responsible for around 95% of disaster displacements in 2019. 

Factors exacerbated by climate change

Other drivers of displacement like poverty, food insecurity, conflict, and political and socio-economic factors are often exacerbated by climate change. Countries that currently face these issues are the least prepared for the impact of climate change.

Food insecurity affects 80% of displaced people worldwide. Climate change can decrease crop yields and food production by damaging land and creating dry conditions. Increased prices as a result then lead to an increase in poverty. Water scarcity as a result of climate change is also linked to increased risk of flooding in other areas of land. The ability of conflict areas to respond to climate disasters is limited due to an existing strain on government resources, leaving little room for recovery. This is why it is evermore important for conflict areas at risk of climate change to develop resilience ahead of disasters. Conflict areas are in a major position of risk to the aftermath of climate disasters due to limited safe land and a pre-existing burden on government resources, leaving little room for recovery.

Vulnerable states and regions identified by the UNHCR

The United Nations Refugee council draws attention to the vulnerability of Central America, The Sahel, Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Mozambique.

The Dry Corridor refers to the area of Central America where droughts and floods occur, creating displacement and damage to agriculture. In 2020, two hurricanes devastated the region, impacting at least 8 million people.  

In the Sahel region, there are over 2 million internally displaced people (IDP) – 1 million in Burkina Faso alone – where armed groups have exploited tension in poor, drought effected areas. Likewise in Somalia, where 2.9 million are internally displaced, climate change impact has also intertwined with conflict: the militant group, Al-Shabab, has exploited economic hardships caused by drought to boost recruits.

In Yemen, the enduring conflict limits abilities to combat issues brought by climate change, and the country’s experience of flash floods and shorter seasons is contributing to existing food poverty. IDPs in Yemen are four times more likely to suffer from food insecurity.

Afghanistan has endured conflict as well as floods and drought, alongside population growth. These events have led to economic instability, escalating conflict, dry conditions, and a reduction of access to humanitarian aid. It is estimated that about half of Afghanistan’s population of 38 million suffered food insecurity in the first quarter of 2021.

Climate change has worsened Bangladesh’s tropical storms and floods, and the frequency and intensity of these cyclones and floods have devastated the Rohyingya refugee shelters, further displacing them.

In Mozambique, Cyclone Idai, Cyclone Kenneth and Storm Chalane, and Cyclone Eloise – all of which occurred in the space of two years (2019-21) have caused displacement and significant damage to the country’s infrastructure. Pre-existing violence and conflict hampered Mozambique’s recovery. By the end of 2020, 670,000 people from Northern Mozambique had been forced from their homes, as well as 1 million people in need of emergency humanitarian aid.

UNHCR climate efforts

In January 2020, as part of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) climate action agenda, a Special Advisor for Climate Action was appointed. The three main areas of focus for this agenda are: Law and Policy, Operations, and UNHCR’s environmental footprint.

‘Law and Policy’ includes providing legal advice and guidance to states regarding the protection of refugees and IDPs from climate change. Operations involve supporting countries to better prepare ahead of and respond to climate disasters. For example, fast-growing trees, alternative energy sources for cooking, and first responder training were implemented by the UNHCR and its partners to help Rohingya refugees. Its environmental footprint has been improved via initiatives such as ‘The Green Box’ initiative to install energy meters across UNHCR offices linked to a global dashboard which monitors power consumption and suggests alternative energy sources. The UNHCR’s emphasis is on providing early support and help to at-risk states – key to preventing a costly and devastating impact from climate change and reducing the number of displaced peoples

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Why Climate Migrants and Undocumented Essential Workers Shouldn’t Be Grouped Together

28 April 2021 – by Caroline Foley

With over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States (US), and the undebatable reality that they have been essential during the pandemic, President Biden has made immigration reform one of his administration’s top priorities. The statistics of undocumented people living in the US have featured in the headlines for quite some time. “We have to stop the flow first,” is the recurring reason given for failing to expand immigration law for the protection of those living in the shadows. The same reasoning was provided in dismissal of Biden’s immigration bill which was introduced in Congress.

Despite contentions that due to the new administration, the border is now ‘open’, the vast majority of migrants are still being turned away at the Southern border. Some politicians associate the increase of people at the border with Biden’s promise of legalization. However, the issue of legalization and a surge of migrants at the border should not be grouped together, because these groups of people are facing very different problems.

As of 2017, most undocumented immigrants have been living in the U.S. for an average of 15 years. They comprise part of the fabric of the American economy and well as society, as parents, community leaders, business owners, and essential workers. However, their humanity is undermined when they face discrimination from the very same society, when their rights as workers and individuals are violated, and when they live in constant fear of deportation.

On the other hand, a large proportion of recent migrants to the US from Central America are fleeing a lack of basic resources in their countries due to the effects of climate change. The use of law enforcement at the border does not address the lack of water and food being experienced in the ‘Dry Corridor’, or the destruction caused by Iota and Eta last year.  It would be beneficial to address this major root cause of migration, and to demilitarize the border and instead invest these funds into sustainability efforts in the US, and climate resilience in Central America. The US should be playing a role in funding the latter as a neighboring country that has very much impacted polices and climate change in Central America.

Climate Migrants

Experts predict that migration will continue to increase when natural disasters intensify as a result of climate change. Currently, approximately 8 million people suffer from food insecurity due to the effects of climate change in Central America, and during 2020, the region endured the formation of 30 cyclones which devastated many areas.

In Honduras specifically, hurricane Eta evolved from tropical depression to Category 4 hurricanes in less than 36 hours. Entire villages were destroyed and buried with mud. The impact of the storm is ongoing as many houses remain destroyed, and people remain unemployed after losing their jobs when plantations were destroyed. This is directly linked to the rise in the surface temperature of the sea.

To address the root cause of migration from neighboring countries, or the so-called “border crisis”, President Biden signed an executive order on February 4, 2021, dubbed ‘Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration’. In section 6 of the order, entitled ‘Climate Change and Migration’, the President ordered the submission of a report within 180 days on climate change and its effect on migration. Specifically, the report should include options for protection and resettlement of individuals displaced directly by climate change, how to identify these migrants, how the US can mitigate the negative impacts of climate change, and how to collaborate with other countries in doing so.

This is a first step in recognizing and addressing the complex situation at the US Southern border. Acknowledging that climate change is directly linked to the displacement of people arriving to the US should be followed by further action, for instance, an expansion of the definition of a ‘refugee’ to include climate migrants, or collaborative work with Central American governments to mitigate the effects of climate change, to which the US is a top contributor.

Undocumented and Essential Workers

It is crucial to humanize immigrants and acknowledge that people are more than a “crisis” that comes in “waves”. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been estimated that 5 million undocumented workers (or 3 in 4 undocumented immigrants in the workforce) are essential workers. They play a critical role the food chain as farmworkers and food processors, and working in health care as food servers and in nursing homes. As a result, a bill to provide permanent residence for over 5 million undocumented essential workers who played a role in the COVID-19 response has been introduced. The House of Representatives also passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to make temporary farm workers eligible to become permanent residents. These are some initial measures that benefit those immigrants who are not just living in, but contributing to American society.

The issues faced by immigrants living in the shadows in the U.S need to be addressed separately from those at the border. Though these issues are intertwined, the reality of the millions that are living undocumented in the US and alienated from the rest of society requires a solution that is geared towards integration. The evidence that undocumented immigrants have contributed to the coronavirus response and economic recovery shows that they consider the US to be their home, and are working alongside their neighbors in the best interest of recovery. We can no longer ignore just how essential undocumented workers are to their communities and the country at large. Holding them hostage in limbo because of an inability to deal with the root causes of migration is inhumane and immoral.

Caroline Miranda Foley is a law student at Western New England, Massachusetts. She has worked in immigration law for the past ten years and is passionate about access to justice, especially in the immigrant community. She has been an immigrant in the United States for over 15 years, and is very tied to the Brazilian and other Latino community where she resides. 

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Intelligence Forecast Warns of a Turbulent Future Upended by Climate Change, Growing Divisions and Pandemics

21 April 2021 – by Evelyn Workman

A report released last week by U.S. intelligence officials predicts that factors such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and growing inequality will lead to further unrest both in the U.S. and across the world. The Global Trends report is released every four years by the National Intelligence Council, and predicts “trends and uncertainties” the U.S. can expect over the next two decades.

The report forecasts that the next 20 years will be increasingly fragmented and turbulent. “Shared global challenges — including climate change, disease, financial crises, and technology disruptions — are likely to manifest more frequently and intensely in almost every region and country,” the report’s authors write. This will produce “widespread strains on states and societies as well as shocks that could be catastrophic.”

Increased rates of climate migration over the next two decades is also predicted in the report. This is a trend which has already been observed, particularly in rural populations which are increasingly migrating to urban settings due to struggles with framing in changing weather and climatic conditions.

In addition, the report also highlights that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of the world order, and has worsened global challenges including exposing disparities in healthcare, increasing inequality and highlighting failed international cooperation.