Climate Migration: A Rising Global Challenge for Human Rights and International Policy.

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As a heatwave has recently been affecting Europe, the international community is discussing the consequences of climate change and the importance of addressing this issue to prevent further climate-related crises around the world. Among the negative effects of climate change, a relatively new phenomenon known as climate migration has emerged in recent years.

Climate migration can be defined as “the movement of a person or groups of persons who, predominantly for reasons of sudden or progressive change in the environment due to climate change, are obliged to leave their habitual place of residence, or choose to do so, either temporarily or permanently, within a State or across an international border”. 

For instance, international institutions such as the United Nations (UN) have stressed that climate change and displacement are closely intertwined. Extreme climate events such as El Niño and other environmental challenges are contributing to the worsening of existing crises, threatening the protection of human rights, increasing poverty, and undermining livelihoods. In addition, these factors are reportedly affecting communities by creating conditions that lead to further forced displacement. More specifically, most people who have been displaced due to conflict or violence now live in climate-vulnerable countries that are poorly equipped to deal with the consequences of climate change.

One example of a climate-related event that triggered large-scale migration was Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines in 2013. More than 7,300 people either lost their lives or went missing, and the disaster caused billions of dollars in damage. Due to the scale of the catastrophe, many people from the affected communities were forced to relocate several kilometers away from their homes. Already affected by armed conflict and other natural disasters, the Philippines was not fully prepared to cope with the consequences of the typhoon. As the government struggled to provide adequate housing, many families lived in tents or improvised structures. Over time, authorities constructed homes in different locations far from the areas affected by the typhoon, providing housing for up to 16,000 families.

In 2022, a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimated that as many as 143 million people are likely to be displaced over the next 30 years due to rising sea levels, drought, extreme heat, and other climate-related disasters. Although individual storms cannot be directly attributed to climate change, studies have shown that typhoons are becoming more intense and, in some regions, more frequent. The World Meteorological Organization concluded in its State of the Climate in Asia 2021 report that droughts, floods, and landslides have caused significant economic losses across Asia. According to the UN agency, weather-related events affected approximately 50 million people that year and resulted in damages totaling 35.6 billion dollars.

The international community has sought to address the issue by adopting various initiatives and policies. For example, in 2024, the European Union launched the Policy Lab on Climate-related Disasters, Displacement and Migration, which releases findings on a rolling basis and summarizes key conclusions and policy recommendations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for coordinated global action, encouraging global leaders to accelerate climate action. He stated: “These crises may seem separate but they share the same destructive origin: fossil fuels. And they demand the same answer: a fast, fair transition to clean energy and a surge in adaptation, resilience and climate justice for those already facing climate harm.”

written by Ludovica Muncibì