How to protect people displaced by the climate crisis

Climate refugees are predominantly from formerly colonized countries that aren't responsible, in large part, for the factors that exacerbate climate change.

by Ivan Natividad-UC Berkeley Dec 07, 2023 1 minute

row of people carrying parcels on their heads walk at edge of water

World leaders discuss plans to combat climate change at the annual United National Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in Dubai this week, but the climate crisis has already displaced millions of people.

Those displaced people are predominately from formerly colonized countries that aren’t responsible, in large part, for the factors behind rising global temperatures, says researcher Hossein Ayazi.

Pie graph showing which countries produce the most carbon dioxide emissions: top producers are USA (24.6%), Rest of Europe (14.4%), China (13.9%), Rest of Asia & Middle East (10.5%) — As seen in this graph, since the mid-18th century, a majority of carbon dioxide emissions have come from wealthier countries in the global north. (Credit: UC Berkeley Othering and Belonging Institute)

Those nations—in the global south regions of Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and much of Asia and Oceania—also lack the wealth and infrastructure to withstand intensifying natural disasters, rising sea levels, and the collapse of industries dependent on stable climates, according to a recent University of California, Berkeley report.

“There are many examples of how global south countries face the brunt of a crisis they did not produce, due to the activities of countries and industries in the global north,” says report coauthor Ayazi, a senior policy analyst at UC Berkeley’s Othering and Belonging Institute. “So we want to help protect the most marginalized—climate-induced displaced persons—while targeting the sources of their marginalization.”

That is why the institute’s Global Justice Program recently launched an interactive database that helps both policymakers and affected communities explore global data on climate-induced displacement. The report also offers strategies to ensure the protection of people displaced by the climate crisis, and climate resilience for them moving forward.

Ayazi says the research shows that sea levels are expected to rise drastically in the coming decades, which will impact nearly 40% of the world’s population that lives in coastal areas. And over 75% of all coastal populations—90% of the world’s poor rural coastal areas—live in the global south.

red-purple world map shows climate vulnerability concentrated in global south — As shown on this map, countries in the global south continue to be more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. (Credit: UC Berkeley Othering and Belonging Institute)

Here, Ayazi talks about what’s causing climate change displacement and what needs to happen to protect climate refugees and make their communities more resilient:

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How to protect people displaced by the climate crisis

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