In the next four decades, developed nations can expect a flood of climate change refugees. A large array of actors including politicians, government agencies, journalists and activists will respond to news about migration and immigration in a number of ways, through religious, ideological and emotional lenses. What will determine refugee assimilation processes and treatment in foreign lands depends on a number and quality of frames harnessed by agencies and media groups involving climate change and refugees as separate yet intertwining topics. Due to the largely negative connotations coupled with fearful and anxious messages involving refugees, frames can be detrimental to immigration and assimilation into Western society. However, evidence
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Thus, I will be discussing how a number of actors utilize local and international frames surrounding climate change refugees, and what the implications of these frames are.
A variety of names across dozens of journals and sources are used to describe the millions of people displaced from their home countries every year due to climate-related disasters such as typhoons, sea level rise (SLR) and earthquakes. Other terms used are “environmental migrants” (Yusuf, 2009), “climate refugees” (Ransan-Cooper, Farbotko, McNamara, Thornton, Chevalier, 2015), “climate change victims” (Hang, Schuldt, 2016) among others. Many scholars have resorted to the term “climate change refugee,” “refugee” meaning “someone who has been forced to flee his or her country …show more content…
Some of these islands are a mere 2 meters about water (Birkey, 2014) and their groundwater and infrastructure are threatening by this rise. Another commonly cited example, Bangladesh, is one of the nation 's most at-risk nations in the wake of climate change — nearly 200,000 Bangladeshis “become homeless each year due to river erosion” (Lieberman, 2015) — is one of the most vulnerable nations in terms of climate change (Yusuf, 2009.) Despite the Paris talks, National Economies Forum meetings and a number of international negotiations, nations like the United States have, “stopped short of backing language that would hold rich countries legally liable for loss and damage” (Davenport, Haner, 2015.) These countries are left to fend for themselves while their shores shrink, groundwater wells are destroyed and their houses flood. This situation is precarious for a number of reasons. Economically, these small island nations are a blip on the economic radar (Birkey, 2014.) Geographically, their location creates mental distance from the problem and the bystander effect comes into play. However, some nations act on behalf of climate change refugees, usually out of self-interest. An example would be China, a nation that suffers large losses each year in lives and money due to climate change related disasters. China that is affected by a multitude of climate-induced disasters every year,
Thus, I will be discussing how a number of actors utilize local and international frames surrounding climate change refugees, and what the implications of these frames are.
A variety of names across dozens of journals and sources are used to describe the millions of people displaced from their home countries every year due to climate-related disasters such as typhoons, sea level rise (SLR) and earthquakes. Other terms used are “environmental migrants” (Yusuf, 2009), “climate refugees” (Ransan-Cooper, Farbotko, McNamara, Thornton, Chevalier, 2015), “climate change victims” (Hang, Schuldt, 2016) among others. Many scholars have resorted to the term “climate change refugee,” “refugee” meaning “someone who has been forced to flee his or her country …show more content…
Some of these islands are a mere 2 meters about water (Birkey, 2014) and their groundwater and infrastructure are threatening by this rise. Another commonly cited example, Bangladesh, is one of the nation 's most at-risk nations in the wake of climate change — nearly 200,000 Bangladeshis “become homeless each year due to river erosion” (Lieberman, 2015) — is one of the most vulnerable nations in terms of climate change (Yusuf, 2009.) Despite the Paris talks, National Economies Forum meetings and a number of international negotiations, nations like the United States have, “stopped short of backing language that would hold rich countries legally liable for loss and damage” (Davenport, Haner, 2015.) These countries are left to fend for themselves while their shores shrink, groundwater wells are destroyed and their houses flood. This situation is precarious for a number of reasons. Economically, these small island nations are a blip on the economic radar (Birkey, 2014.) Geographically, their location creates mental distance from the problem and the bystander effect comes into play. However, some nations act on behalf of climate change refugees, usually out of self-interest. An example would be China, a nation that suffers large losses each year in lives and money due to climate change related disasters. China that is affected by a multitude of climate-induced disasters every year,