Climate Exiles: Major Issues

Climate exiles or Environmental migrants are people who are forced to migrate from their homes due to sudden or long-term impact of their local climates as a result of which their well-being and source of livelihood stands badly disrupted. Such changes include droughts, desertification, sea level rise and also disruption of seasonal weather patterns. Such people either migrate to different parts of their own country or to different countries. Terms like environment refugee, climate refugee, climate migrant, etc. are also used.

Concept

The term was proposed by Leslie Brown in 1976 and ever since many new terms have come into being. The term recognises that:

• Environmental migrants are not only the ones those who are displaced by the environmental events but also who have migrated due to deteriorating environmental conditions.
• The migration can occur within or across international borders.
• The migration can be long-term or short-term.
• Such movements are triggered as a matter of choice.

Types of Climate Exiles

The International Organization for Migration have proposed three types of environmental migrants:

• Environmental Emergency Migrants: They are temporary migrants which leave their places of residence due to a sudden environmental disaster or catastrophe.
• Environmental Forced Migrants: People who are forced to move due to deteriorating conditions of environment.
• Environmental Motivated Migrants: People who choose to leave to avoid possible future problems.