Lesedauer: 4 Minuten

Across the world, natural disasters have become exacerbated by climate change. Drought, floods, wildfires, rising sea levels, among many other weather phenomena pose a critical threat to the state of society leading to people having to migrate.

Background and Context

As climate change persists, many regions are guaranteed to be significantly impacted and harmed. As global temperatures continue to increase, the rate of droughts, floods, and natural disasters resultantly increase proportionately. This creates grave concerns for society as we find that coastal cities, as well as drought-stricken regions, will have no choice but to relocate their entire lives. It is projected that at this rate, about 140 million people will be displaced, globally.

Stakeholders and Key Actors

It is essential to note that the catastrophic effects of climate change are human caused. But more than that, it is not primarily the fault of individual people, but monstrous corporations and the structure of our economy. They are responsible for the extremely elevated rates of greenhouse gas emissions, trapped heat in the atmosphere, and resultantly, intensified natural disasters.

Displacement and Impact

While many perceive the consequences of climate change to be a problem for the future, it has already displaced people. Thus far, wildfires have displaced more than a million Americans. Globally, 30 million people have been forced to relocate due to weather-related disasters. In places such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, hurricanes have left people crop-less and homeless. Without governmental assistance, people’s livelihoods and physiological needs are not met. Resultantly, there has been significant increases in migration and immigration rates.

Potential Solutions and Outlook

In order to prevent coasts from being washed away, drought among the masses, and devastating natural disasters far and wide, we must tackle climate change. It is crucial that we not seek short term solutions to a long term problem. Climate change needs to be mitigated by rewriting global standards of nurturing the environment and its people, with emphasis on accountability from developed nations and their industrial corporations. By addressing the issue at its root, changing our standards, and applying long-term solutions in practice, we can prevent the need for mass migration and save our established society as it stands.