Why It Matters?
Climate Refugees are individuals who have to flee their homes due to climate related disasters such as droughts, floods and extreme weather events. While they are often referred to as climate refugees, the term is still not universally accepted and the concept of leaving your home due to climate change does not exist in international law, meaning these people are not given the same protections as other refugees.
​
Every day vulnerable people are forcibly displaced due to impacts generated by climate change. This isn’t something that will happen, this is something happening now.
This is a human rights issue.
The People Affected
In the United States the richest 10% of people are the cause of over 40% of our nation’s emission of greenhouse gases, while the poorest 50% account for a much smaller percentage. However the effects of these actions do not have the same effect on every citizen, and the poorest communities are often the ones that are most hurt by climate change, and many of them become climate refugees. Climate change has a greater effect on marginalized communities who are already facing their own problems.
These communities are more exposed to homelessness as they tend to live in more climate vulnerable areas, unemployment due to the lack of education available which leads them to have climate dependent careers such as agriculture and fishing, and they do not receive as much aid as other groups due to redlining and other discriminatory practices. Poorer coastal countries that are less developed, and often not major producers of CO2 are especially hit hard.
Migration due to climate change is often not a solution that these populations consider, as they can not afford to leave their homes and are forced to stay in these dangerous areas which causes a tremendous amount of human health problems. People tend to migrate when they have no other choice, meaning they are no longer fleeing for a better life, but out of a need to survive with no other options.
The Current Crisis
The current climate has been getting worse at an exponential rate these past few decades, due to human intervention and the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This has led to a rise in average temperatures, a significant increase in the number of climate related disasters, and a rise in sea levels throughout the globe. Everyday, vulnerable people are forced to flee their homes due to the impacts of climate change, and by 2050 an estimated 1.2 billion people could become climate refugees.
Effect on Austin, TX
Specifically in the United States, many people are already having to leave their homes due to these climate disasters. Specifically in the coastal areas due to flooding and sea level rise, as well as California and other places in the west that are experiencing an increase in forest fires. Texas is expected to receive the biggest net population gain, specifically in Austin and Round Rock. Austin has already begun preparing for a potential increase in migrants, but the ongoing homelessness crisis they are experiencing will only get worse as more people come to the city. Texas is also expected to experience climate related disasters as well, specifically heatwaves and drought caused by a rise in temperatures.