1 / 24

The Impact of Global Environmental Change on Immigration Patterns

This presentation by Prof. Andrew Millington discusses the relationship between global environmental change and immigration, emphasizing the rise of environmental migrants and refugees. With over 175 million people living outside their country of birth, the talk explores the distinctions between traditional refugees and environmental migrants, the systemic changes driving migration, and the urgent need for legal recognition and assistance for those displaced by environmental factors. Additionally, case studies like Hurricane Katrina and Haiti highlight the human costs of environmental upheaval. **Relevant

ingrid-small
Télécharger la présentation

The Impact of Global Environmental Change on Immigration Patterns

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Does (will) global environmental change accelerate immigration? Prof. Andrew Millington Dept. of Geography, TAMU millington@geog.tamu.edu 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  2. Would you know an environmental migrant if you saw one? 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  3. Environmental migrants and refugees • 175 million people live outside their country of birth • 10-11 million refugees from armed conflicts • 12-25 million refugees from natural disasters and famine • Majority of environmental migrants/refugees have moved since 1980 • Cross-border migrants • currently mainly social and economic opportunists • economic migrants fastest growing group • Internally displaced persons • currently mainly environmental and political refugees 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  4. Refugees and environmental refugees 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  5. Refugees and environmental refugees • Similarities between traditional and environmental refugees • Forced nature of migration • Need for material assistance • Need for permission to re-locate • Debate raging at present: • Should environmental migrants be treated, and have same status as, traditional refugees as codified in International Law and guarded by the UN? 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  6. Defining environmental refugees • Originally identified and broadly defined by UN researcher El-Hinnawai (1985). • “People who migrate from their usual residence due to changes in their ambient non-human environment” Diane Bates (2002) 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  7. (Global) Environmental change • Global environmental change • Systemic change • Climate change • Cumulative change • Deforestation, desertification • Regional and local environmental change • Water pollution 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  8. Migrants from disasters • Rapid onset • Natural or technological FOR MORE INFO... Link> Montserrat Juicy Geography 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  9. Migrants from expropriation • Rapid onset • Development or Ecocide FOR MORE INFO... Link>International Rivers Network 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  10. Migrants from deterioration • Slow onset • Pollution or Depletion FOR MORE INFO... Link> UNEP GRID 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  11. Internal Displacement • Internally displaced persons - IDPs FOR MORE INFO... Link> Population Reference Bureau 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  12. Earthquakes and IDPs Earthquake data 1901-2005 (Pop Ref Bureau) FOR MORE INFO... Link> Population Reference Bureau 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  13. 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  14. Environmentally-IDPs in the USA • Hurricane Katrina • “In…14 days the hurricane scattered as many as 1 million evacuees across the US…” • “Many evacuees are putting down roots in new areas and saying they’ll never return.” • “…the largest displacement of Americans in 150 years…as if the entire Dust Bowl occurred in 14 days” Peter Grier, Christian Science Monitor, Sept 12 2005 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  15. Environmentally-IDPs in the USA 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  16. International environmental refugees: Haiti • 20% (1.3 million) of population emigrated, 300 000 to USA • Political oppression • Environmental basis • High population growth • 33% of land suitable for cultivated: 60% cultivated • 80% population chronically malnourished • Cost of Haitian migrants to Florida $250 million • 17x USAID annual spent on environmental safeguards in entire Caribbean 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  17. International environmental migration: historical contexts 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  18. Poverty Voluntary economic opportunists Migration gradient Driven outright by environmental pressures 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  19. Where are today’s 25 million environmental migrants? • Africa – 16 million • Sahel (5 mill), Horn and Sudan (4 mill) • China – 6 million • Mexico – 1 million • 135 million - threatened by severe desertification • 550 million – nations with chronic water shortages 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  20. …and tomorrow’s environmental migrants? • 37 million by 2010 • Most in sub-Saharan Africa • Global change • Drought – 50 million • Sea Level Rise – 162 million • Bangladesh 26, Egypt 21, China 73, India 20, Small Island States 31 • 180 million - threatened by severe desertification • 1 billion – nations with chronic water shortages FOR MORE INFO... Link>Tearfund ‘Feeling the Heat’ 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  21. Tomorrow’s environmental migrants – Tomorrow’s world • Asian migrants to Europe and North America? • Caribbean and Latin American migrants to North America and Europe? • Asian migrants to Australia and NZ? • Internally displaced persons? 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  22. Does (will) global environmental change accelerate immigration? • Does global environmental change accelerate immigration? √ Majority of 25million environmental migrants since 1980 – 1995 ? Some not due to global environmental change but other hazards X Most of IDPs, not immigrants • Will global environmental change accelerate immigration? √ Environmental migrants projected to double by 2010 ? Some not due to global environmental change but other hazards X Many still IDPs, but more will migrate 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  23. Responsibilities and Responses • Analogies with the ‘polluter pays principle’ • Increase the legal scope of refugee • Better understanding of interplay of causes of migration • Better targeting of aid monies • Recognition of the value of refugees in a globalized economy 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

  24. Would you know an environmental migrant if you saw one? 'Migration, Immigration & Changing Borders' TAMU Office of Intenational Outreach, Dec 1st 2006

More Related