Overview of Climate-Driven Migration
Climate change significantly influences global migration patterns by exacerbating environmental hazards like droughts, floods, and rising sea levels, forcing millions to relocate. According to the World Bank, by 2050, up to 216 million people could become internal climate migrants, with international borders also seeing increased crossings as habitable lands diminish.
Key Drivers and Mechanisms
The primary drivers include slow-onset events such as desertification and water scarcity, which erode livelihoods in agriculture-dependent regions, and rapid-onset disasters like hurricanes that destroy infrastructure overnight. These factors disrupt economies, leading to 'climate refugees'—though not legally recognized—pushing migration from vulnerable areas in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America toward more stable urban centers or neighboring countries.
Practical Example: Pacific Islands and Coastal Shifts
In the Pacific Islands, such as Kiribati, rising sea levels have submerged entire villages, prompting government-led relocation programs. Residents are migrating to New Zealand or Fiji, illustrating how climate impacts accelerate cross-border movements and strain international relations, with over 1,200 climate-displaced people annually from these atolls.
Broader Implications and Global Applications
This migration reshapes demographics, intensifying urban overcrowding, resource competition, and social tensions in host regions. It underscores the need for adaptive policies like the UN's Global Compact for Migration, which integrates climate considerations to foster planned relocations and reduce conflict risks, ultimately highlighting climate change as a multiplier of global inequality.