Climate Change, Human Displacement, and Social Work Practice

Background and Purpose: Nations around the world are exposed to greater environmental risks and experiencing more frequent climate catastrophes, such as floods, droughts, and sea-level rise. Those in the Global South are more vulnerable to climate change due to the long-term effects of endemic poverty, pervasive inequality, and acute food insecurity. Those nations have insufficient or inadequate systems and facilities to face climate-induced disasters. In spite of international conventions upholding the rights of refugees and migrants, climate-displaced people have limited protections in existing policy. Using cases from three world regions, the guiding research questions were: (1) What are the linkages of climate change and the massive climate-related displacement; and (2) What are the responses to the drastic climate change, and the related human displacement?

Methods: Case studies from three regions from the Global South were used to exemplify the need for greater awareness of these realities. The selected case in South Asia was Bangladesh, in Southeast Asia was Thailand, in the Horn of Africa was Ethiopia, and in Latin America was Central America and the Caribbean. These regions and countries were selected based on the preponderant evidence of the effects of climate change on the massive displacement of people. The evidence collected was used to identify climate-induced migration trends and document promising solutions at the national, regional and global levels.

Results: Since the Paris Agreement was signed, countries are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as invest in research on climate change and in the development of creative solutions for mitigation (to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or create renewable energy sources) and adaptation (to prevent or minimize adverse impacts of climate change). While climate change has become relatively acknowledged, the plight of climate refugees has not been recognized. Despite its global scale, the extent of climate change and its consequent effects on the people appear to differ within and across regions. The people most affected are those experiencing vulnerability and marginalization because they have less access to resources and support networks. By 2050, more than 140 million people are estimated to experience forced displacement due to climate change and environmental disasters in the regions studied.

Conclusions and Implications: Climate change is no longer a possibility; it is an unavoidable and impending reality with scientific evidence posing an existential threat to human civilization. Multifaceted social, economic, and environmental problems have emerged or are already in place for resource-poor nations. Based on the nature of adversity and outcomes, broadly, two approaches to preparedness can be identified in the relevant policies. Approaches include the mitigation of impacts of climate change-induced natural disasters to minimize losses and reduce risks, and the preparation of communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Climate reliance and climate governance are featuring as promising opportunities for lasting solutions. The emerging themes were used to propose climate-related actions for social work practice.