ART

INTEGRATION
- group 2
GROUP MEMBERS
Vani R Kartha – Science
Diya Ramaseshan - Math
Daksha K Biswas – Social
Hrithika Satheesh – Hindi
Avni Arun Raaj – Sanskrit
Maanasa K - English
science
Vani R Kartha
social science
Daksha K Biswas
CLIMATE DISPLACEMENT:
CHALLENGES AND RESPONSES
 Human activities, over the years, have led to a rapid degradation of the
earth’s environment, eventually leading to an immense impact on climate
change. Owing to this spiralling environmental degradation, the statistics of
people getting uprooted and facing displacement are constantly gaining
momentum. It is estimated that the world will see a staggering 25 million
to 1 billion ‘Environmental Displaced Persons’ or EDP in the upcoming
future.
 This will not only impact the international relations and geo political ties
between nations but will also lead to new issues and conflicts while dealing
with this emerging problem.
 This paper aims to explore issues relating to climate-induced migration and
displacement, the varying impact of climate change, and how it is being
attempted to handle.
DEFINING THE PROBLEM
 In 1976, Lester Brown first introduced the term “environmental refugees’’. In 1985, Essam
El Hinnawi used the term and described these refugees as people who were compelled to
depart, either permanently or temporarily, from their native lands due to environmental
disasters which not only has put their lives at risk but also degraded their quality of life.
 Various terms, like climate refugee, environmental displace, climate migrant, and
environmental migrant have been coined to refer to the people displaced by climate
induced disasters
 However, these terms face scrutiny, as the concept of climate-induced migration is
relatively new. Climate-induced migrants do not fit into the conventional refugee status,
leading to considerable debate regarding their status. In international discourse, there is
also a differentiation between the treatment of migrants and refugees on account of the
varying obligations that they put on the destination countries. The International
Organization for Migration (IOM) has pointed out how the term ‘refugee’ needs to have an
expanding definition since these environmental migrants do not get recognised as
refugees in the conventional sense which makes their relocation and habitation difficult.
DIFFERENTIAL IMPACTS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE
 Climate change affects every region differently based on several factors ranging
from low adaptability to geographical features like low-lying terrains. Regions with
the latter feature are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels.
 In this context, migration will, eventually, become an adaptation strategy in the
face of climate change impacts. The affected regions will also see substantial
movement of the population as a response to environmental disasters. The World
Bank’s Groundswell Report of 2021 estimates that by 2050, 216 million people will
face internal migration within their country, with the majority of these migrations
happening in sub-Saharan Africa
 NASA has also reported that by 2050, significant parts of the Gulf will become
inhospitable due to the rise in global temperature. The Arctic is also an example
of a region that will be heavily impacted by the rise in temperatures. Global
warming, which will lead to a rise in water levels, will also have immense
ramifications for low-lying regions and small islands such as the Pacific islands or
the Solomon islands.
 Countries like India, Bangladesh, and China along with numerous
countries from the Southeast Asian region will also be impacted
by the rising sea levels. Seventeen percent of Bangladesh is
predicted to be threatened by submergence due to the rising sea
levels which will displace a vast population by 2050. According to
some estimates, India, by 2050, as a result of climate change,
may also face substantial migration of up to 45 million people.
India, being a vast country with varied geographical features,
may also face differential impacts induced due to climate
change. These can range from land degradation, coastal floods,
to desertification
 The effect of climate change and the rise in global temperature
leading to the rise in sea levels will be experienced all over the
world. The consequences, despite being unevenly distributed, will
also aggravate the conditions for the marginalized and the poor
sections of the population who face greater risk due to low
resources at their disposal.
EXISTING GLOBAL
RESPONSE FROM
INTERNATIONAL
ORGANISATIONS
 International organizations have been formulating policies and devising mitigation strategies
to help navigate and prepare better for this major problem. This portion of the paper will
elaborate on some of them.
 The Cancun Adaptation Framework of 2010 took an important step in addressing
displacement, relocation, and migration as a result of climate change.[ix] The National
Adaptation Programmed of Action (NAPA) has been developed by several countries with the
support of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It
comprises various strategies and adaptation plans in dealing with climate change.[x] The
United Nations Environment Programmed (UNEP) is another organisation working on climate
change, migration and displacement. UNEP along with its Copenhagen Climate Centre has a
Nationally Determined Contribution Action Project (NDC). NDC focuses on the mitigation
strategies related to climate change and signifies the individual effort by every state to work
towards climate change and reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases. UNEP strongly
recommends the integration of the displaced population in the Nationally Determined
Contribution Action Project as well as in the National Adaptation Plan. It also recommends
meeting the adaptation strategies for the population at risk. This is in line with the self-
reliance objectives of the Global Compact on Migration and Global Compact on Refugees for
the displaced population and the host countries.
 The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has
also been working towards providing support to the displaced
population and the refugees due to the ill-effects of climate
change. Both UNHCR and the IOM emphasise the role of states in
providing protection to environmental refugees and coming up with
coping strategies to deal better with them.
 In 2012, the Nansen Initiative on Disaster-Induced Cross-Border
Displacement was introduced.[xiii] It was a multi-governmental
initiative with Norway and Switzerland being at the forefront.[xiv]
In a consultation that took place in Geneva in 2015, 109 states
promoted the agenda for the displaced people.
 Following the Nansen Initiative, the Platform on Disaster
Displacement (PDD) was launched in 2016 to help reinforce the
protection for the displaced people. UNHCR ,PDD and IOM with
several other organisations helped in the execution of directions
suggested by the Nansen Initiative. These three organisations are
also the founding members of the Task Force Displacement or TFD.
[xvii] The TFD emerged in 2015 at COP21 and has worked in three
BILATERAL LEVEL
AGREEMENTS ON CLIMATE
MIGRANTS
Australia and New Zealand are two examples that are working towards
addressing the challenges of climate-induced migration through bilateral
agreements. Both countries will continue to face an increasing number
of climate refugees from the Pacific islands which are under the threat of
submergence. In this context, Australia and Tuvalu recently signed a
treaty on the present threat of climate change. The treaty is ground
breaking as it is the first one signed between two states regarding
climate-induced migration. Australia, according to this treaty, will aid the
people of Tuvalu by giving them migration access and will allow them to
settle there permanently. New Zealand has also come up with a
framework for taking in Pacific Island migrants. Under its program —
Pacific Access Category (PAC), it has a reserved quota for permanent
residency for migrants from these climate-threatened islands
CONCLUSION
Environmental disasters or even gradual but significant environmental changes
have been one of the prime reasons for human migration for millennia.
Humankind has a history of dealing with this issue. However, in the present times,
this issue has acquired new salience due to the fear of highly adverse
environmental impacts that may occur in the near future due to climate change.
The issue of environmental migration and displacement is a multifaceted issue
with numerous factors playing a role. These factors could be related to social,
economic and even security issues. The international community will also need to
traverse through these factors that weave into environmental migration. Due to
the complexity of this issue, comprehensive global response and collaboration are
the need of the hour. Various initiatives are being taken by nation-states at both
national and international levels to deal with the increasing onslaught of
displacement and migration happening as a result of climate change. This reflects
a growing awareness of climate displacement as an issue of global concern.
Further research is needed to enhance the adaptation and mitigation strategies at
local, regional and international levels.
thank you!
Daksha K Biswas
10B
Group 2
Roll number 10
mathematics
Diya Ramaseshan
hindi
Hrithika Satheesh
Hrithika Satheesh
Hrithika Satheesh
10
B
Roll number 18
sanskrit
Avni Arun Raaj
thank you!
english
Maanasa K
Extreme weather?
people affected and
displaced by desertification

low river levels

invaders experience
positive impacts
nearly double
that of natives
thank you!
- group 2