22 May 2021 – by Ben St. Laurent
An article published in TIME by Aryn Baker offers a harrowing glimpse into how climate change is destroying the lives of residents in Kenya’s Rift Valley. Unprecedented precipitation over the past decade has already demolished homes, businesses, and lives – many of which are now entirely submerged by expanding lakes. According to Baker, thousands from this region have already been displaced by climate change. Evelyn Ajuang has been forced to relocate from her rural home on the edge of Lake Nakuru, to the nearby city just a few kilometres away. She spoke with TIME about the impact that relocation has had on her way of life, and the risks it poses for her future.
The residents of Rift Valley are urging their leaders to implement policies that better prepare cities for the emerging wave of climate migrants and prevent the crisis from developing further. According to Baker’s article, many major cities have already “launched programs to build climate resilience while making sure new arrivals have opportunities for both safe housing and fair employment.” Cities in Bangladesh have innovatively planned physical and social migration infrastructure in anticipation of the already increasing flow of migrants into more urban areas. But most cities in developing countries often lack the budget to build the infrastructure needed to accommodate the influx of migrants.
Climate migration experts — such as Alex Randall of the Climate and Migration Coalition (UK), Saleemul Huq of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (Dhaka), and Vittoria Zanuso of the Mayors Migration Council — insist that more international investment be directed towards climate adaptation in developing countries. Baker points out that urbanization can create opportunities for residents and foster economic development for countries, but it can also “create unprecedented mega-slums” if cities don’t plan properly or lack the resources to do so.
