What are climate refugees and where do they go?



The consequences of climate change are some of the primary drivers behind global human migration. According to a report by the European Commission on Migration, each year an average of 30 million people are displaced due to environmental degradation.



Climate refugees, or climate migrants, are people forced away from their homes due to sudden or gradual alterations in their natural environment. We're talking about sea level rise, extreme weather events, drought and water scarcity, for example. They are also referred to as displaced people.



The Horn of Africa, and in particular self-declared country Somaliland, is scourged by water scarcity and famine. And you can throw in on top a locust plague that's wiping out everything in its path, making people flee their native lands. Many have no choice but to live in refugee camps run by NGOs.



Which NGOs are present in Somaliland?



CARE is the main organisation operating in the country. They opened a camp in 2017, which has continued to grow ever since. It might be located in the middle of nowhere and only have basic equipment, but it nevertheless acts as a safe haven for more than 1,500 people. However, CARE itself recognises its impact in the region is insufficient alone. Its activity is merely a form of temporary support, primarily intended for country dwellers, women and children.



To what extent is climate migration a global phenomenon?



It affects several regions of the world, including countries like Venezuela, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Mozambique, to name but a few. Elsewhere, sea levels are rising, ice caps are receding, seasonal rainfall is becoming unpredictable, and extreme weather events are increasingly frequent and intense. Climate change is real, and human activity is the main cause.



A UN report says the past six years have been the hottest on record. Greenhouse gas emissions are driving average global temperatures up faster than at any time in the history of the modern world.



What happens to climate refugees when they leave their homes?



Most remain in their home countries, often living in areas highly exposed to weather hazards such as floods and storms. Some of them cannot return home and are known as internally displaced people, or IDPs for short. Meanwhile, a smaller proportion seek safety in other countries and may need international protection. That seriously raises the question of our planet's sustainable habitability.



We often talk about climate refugees as a risk that could arise in the distant future, but the issue seems to already be a reality. Estimates suggest that unless we devise and implement an ambitious climate action plan and a disaster risk management strategy, as many as 200 million people per year could end up needing humanitarian aid by 2050. There you have it.



词汇表

primary driver [ˈpraɪməri] 主要驱动因素

European Commission 欧盟委员会

displaced [dɪsˈpleɪst] 流离失所的，背井离乡的

environmental degradation [ˌdeɡrəˈdeɪʃn] 环境恶化，环境退化

climate refugee [ˌrefjuˈdʒiː] 气候难民（因环境恶化被迫离开家园寻求庇护的人）

climate migrant [ˈmaɪɡrənt] 气候移民

alteration [ˌɔːltəˈreɪʃn] 改变，变更

sea level rise 海平面上升

extreme weather events 极端天气事件（如暴风雨、洪水、干旱等）

drought [draʊt] 干旱，旱灾

water scarcity [ˈskeəsəti] 水资源短缺

The Horn of Africa [hɔːn] 非洲之角（非洲东北部的一个半岛）

self-declared [ˌself dɪˈkleəd] 自封的，自称的

Somaliland  [səˈmɑːlilænd]（东非）索马里兰

scourge [skɜːdʒ] 折磨，蹂躏；灾难，祸害

famine [ˈfæmɪn] 饥荒

locust plague [ˈləʊkəst pleɪɡ] 蝗灾

wipe out [waɪp] 消灭，彻底摧毁

flee their native lands [fliː] 逃离故土，背井离乡

refugee camp [ˌrefjuˈdʒiː kæmp] 难民营

NGO 非政府组织（Non-Governmental Organization的缩写）

CARE [keə(r)]  CARE国际组织（致力于消除贫困和不公的人道主义组织）

haven [ˈheɪvn] 避难所， 避风港

insufficient [ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃnt] 不足的，不够的

be intended for [ɪnˈtendɪd] 为…而准备，针对，面向

country dweller [ˈkʌntri ˈdwelə(r)] 农村居民，乡下人

Venezuela [ˌvenəˈzweɪlə] 委内瑞拉（南美国家）

Afghanistan [æfˈɡænɪstæn] 阿富汗（亚洲国家）

Bangladesh [ˌbæŋɡləˈdeʃ] 孟加拉国（亚洲国家）

Mozambique [ˌməʊzæmˈbiːk] 莫桑比克（非洲东南部国家）

ice cap [kæp] （南北极）冰盖，冰冠

recede [rɪˈsiːd] 消退，逐渐减退

seasonal rainfall [ˈsiːzənl ˈreɪnfɔːl] 季节性降雨

unpredictable [ˌʌnprɪˈdɪktəbl] 变幻莫测的，难以预测的

greenhouse gas emissions [ɪˈmɪʃnz] 温室气体排放

weather hazard [ˈhæzəd] 气象灾害

internally displaced people (IDPs) [ɪnˈtɜːnəli] 国内流离失所者（被迫逃离家园但仍在其母国境内的人）

sustainable habitability [səˈsteɪnəbl ˌhæbɪtəˈbɪləti] 可持续宜居性

devise [dɪˈvaɪz] 设计，制定，构思

disaster risk management 灾害风险管理

humanitarian aid [hjuːˌmænɪˈteəriən] 人道主义援助



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