Global Climate Change, Population Displacement, and Public Health by Lawrence A. Palinkas

Author:Lawrence A. Palinkas
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030418908
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

6.4.3 External Relocation

On a somewhat smaller scale relative to internal migration, climigrants may seek refuge in other countries. Although most of the population displacement resulting from extreme weather events throughout Asia and the Pacific is internal, climigration to other countries has been known to occur. In the 2016 IOM study cited earlier, 14% of the Bangladeshis surveyed indicated international migration was a viable adaptation response, primarily toward India and the Middle East. In contrast, a survey of residents of Tuvalu found that only 5% cited environmental reasons as a reason to migrate internationally (Milan et al. 2016). In the Philippines, declining rice production linked to climate variations in certain areas has been shown to be associated with increased international migration, especially among women (Bordey et al. 2013).

However, international migration is particularly significant for low-lying SIDS facing the prospect of entire territories being submerged by sea level rise. Much of this migration will be to other Pacific nations with higher elevation, such as Fiji and Vanuatu. Leading the way has been Kiribati, which purchased 20 square kilometers of land in Fiji for potential population relocation. Climigrants are also likely to travel to where labor market opportunities are or are perceived to be, including the Middle East, Europe, and East and Southeast Asia. According to the UNESCAP report (2017), international migration to these destinations, especially by women from climate-affected countries like Bangladesh and Philippines seeking employment abroad, has tripled since 1990.

However, the ability to relocate to an international destination is constrained by several factors, including affordability, access, social networks, host community receptivity, and employment opportunities (IPCC 2014; UNESCAP 2017). The financial requirements of international migration in particular constitute a barrier to access for those who are the poorest and most vulnerable to climate change (IPCC 2014). In the 2016 IOM study, for instance, most of the climigrants traveling to other countries from Bangladesh are from middle- to upper-income households. Lacking comparable financial resources, climigrants from poorer and lower middle-income households are often forced to take out high-interest and risky loans to finance their relocation outside the country.

In Asia and the Pacific, “cross-border movement is expected to happen gradually, mostly through existing channels, rather than in a mass influx of irregular migrants. However, reduced options for affordable, safe and regular migration increase the motivation to use irregular and dangerous migration channels” (UNESCAP 2017: 5). For those lacking existing safe and legal migration pathways, the alternative is to migrate without authorization and hope for the best:Just as Syria has the image of the washed-up toddler boy, Asia has its own poster child for climate change – hundreds of them, stranded on boats, banished from their destinations and consigned to life on the perilous seas, often referred to in the media as ‘boat people.’ Oftentimes, boats of hundreds or thousands of refugees are at sea for months, unable to find port. Many have been abandoned by the ship crews without food or water, still more have capsized. It is an exceedingly dangerous journey, but the refugees who have been forced to leave Myanmar and Bangladesh have nowhere else to go.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.