Adoption of the Paris Agreement at the 21st annual Conference of the Parties (COP21) has brought new attention to the detrimental effects of climate on communities all around the world. For the first time in history, all 196 countries committed to addressing global climate change. Building off of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the aim of the Paris Agreement primary is to “hold the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels” (UN, 2015). While the agreement lacks the forcefulness many leaders and experts were calling for, it does set a framework for further emission reductions in the future.
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Factors such as distance, travel costs, travel time, modes of transportation, terrain, and cultural barriers all influence human migration. Migration motivation is usually broken into two categories; push and pull. Push factors are reasons for emigrating because of a difficulty, such as a food shortage, war, or floods. Pull factors are reasons for immigrating because of something appealing, such as better climate, improved healthcare, or safety. In most cases, it is impossible to single out environmental degradation as the sole reason for migration or …show more content…
This is categorized as circular or return migration. The UNHCR recommends polices and measures that “strengthen the resilience of climate vulnerable populations to enable them to remain where they live; support or facilitate voluntary and dignified internal and cross-border migration as an adaptation strategy; and, as an option of last resort, plan for participatory and dignified relocation” (UNHCR, 2015). However, there is much contention around the issue of who is responsible for implementing these recommendations. Well-managed migration, whether circular, temporary or long-term, has the potential to increase the resilience of climate vulnerable populations by creating new livelihood opportunities and reducing exposure to future risks (UNHRC, 2015). Unfortunately, the current legal structure around climate migration is not conducive to handling the large numbers of climate-related refugees the world is presently seeing, causing millions of people to slip through the cracks. While people displaced within their own countries (internally displaced persons) are covered by national law, international law, and the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, a serious legal gap exists with regard to cross-border movements in the context of disasters and the effects of climate change. In most cases, these people are not refugees under international
Factors such as distance, travel costs, travel time, modes of transportation, terrain, and cultural barriers all influence human migration. Migration motivation is usually broken into two categories; push and pull. Push factors are reasons for emigrating because of a difficulty, such as a food shortage, war, or floods. Pull factors are reasons for immigrating because of something appealing, such as better climate, improved healthcare, or safety. In most cases, it is impossible to single out environmental degradation as the sole reason for migration or …show more content…
This is categorized as circular or return migration. The UNHCR recommends polices and measures that “strengthen the resilience of climate vulnerable populations to enable them to remain where they live; support or facilitate voluntary and dignified internal and cross-border migration as an adaptation strategy; and, as an option of last resort, plan for participatory and dignified relocation” (UNHCR, 2015). However, there is much contention around the issue of who is responsible for implementing these recommendations. Well-managed migration, whether circular, temporary or long-term, has the potential to increase the resilience of climate vulnerable populations by creating new livelihood opportunities and reducing exposure to future risks (UNHRC, 2015). Unfortunately, the current legal structure around climate migration is not conducive to handling the large numbers of climate-related refugees the world is presently seeing, causing millions of people to slip through the cracks. While people displaced within their own countries (internally displaced persons) are covered by national law, international law, and the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, a serious legal gap exists with regard to cross-border movements in the context of disasters and the effects of climate change. In most cases, these people are not refugees under international