The Anatomy of A Silent Crisis The Anatomy of A Silent Crisis

48 Forum 2009: Climate Change – The Anatomy of a Silent Crisis
Climate displaced people is the term used in this report describing people who predominantly
involuntarily are forced to move or are displaced, either permanently or temporarily, because of
climate change, through its impacts and shocks. It is possible to estimate the numbers of Climate
Displaced People in global terms, since, for instance, a correlation can be made between the great
increase in the number of severe weather events — much of which can be attributed to climate
change — over the last decades, and the number of additional people that these events displace.
It is, however, virtually impossible to single out individual people or even scenario specific situations
as being attributable to climate change. This means that the definition of Climate Displaced People
carries almost no practical application today. It is however, a useful estimative indicator of the
additional burden that climate change is placing on the international community, on existing legal
frameworks of protection and assistance, and on local communities in areas where climate impacts
are most acute.
Today there are about 26 million Climate Displaced People 148
Today about 350 million people can be considered displaced 143 — some temporarily, some
long-term. They include over 150 million people involuntarily displaced—people forced from their
homes by weather-related disasters, gradual environmental degradation such as desertification
and sea level rise or due to development projects, such as the construction of dams, mines, roads,
factories, plantations and wildlife reserves. Environmental pressures also have an impact on the
number of voluntary long-term migrants whose numbers have risen from 75 million in 1965 to over
200 million today. These are people who leave voluntarily and live outside their home country for at
least a year, with improved economic condition being the main reason for leaving. 143
An estimated 26 million of the 350 million displaced worldwide are considered climate
displaced people. 149 Of these, 1 million each year are estimated to be displaced by weatherrelated
disasters brought on by climate change. 150 These populations are mostly temporarily
forced displacement within national borders, but also include temporarily forced and voluntary
displacement across international borders. 151 For example, torrential rains that struck Uganda
during the summer of 2007 caused the country’s worst floods in 30 years and displaced over
60,000 people. 39 Cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy Delta in southern Myanmar and displaced
800,000 people. 152 About 25 million people are displaced quietly, far from the news headlines, due
to more gradual environmental change related to climate change 153 , mainly by desertification, but
also by rising sea levels. The displacement is often gradual, beginning with voluntary movements
(in- and outside the country) and in some cases ending in forced displacement by realities of
the climate. There are also cases where areas are being prohibited for habitation by authorities
leading to either internal or across border and forced or voluntary displacement. 154 These 25
million people come from sub-Saharan areas of Africa, including the Sahel and the Horn of Africa,