News: "Last Straw" Pushes Millions from Their Homes

(Inter Press Service) August 11, 2011 – With political will to dramatically cut the world’s greenhouse gas emissions failing to materialise, a multi-pronged approach is needed to protect the millions of people who are being displaced as a result of environmental factors driven largely by climate change, experts say. “Climate change is looming as a […]

News: Syria’s Woes Paint Picture of Environmental Migration to Come

(AlertNet) August 1, 2011 – The political turmoils in Syria, along with Egypt and other countries in the Middle East, have entangled the international community and served as a major test of global governance. Syria’s political difficulties have lead to such problems as a stream of refugees fleeing to the Turkish border, exacerbated sectarian tensions and contributed to […]

Field Bulletin: Longer-Term Disaster Displaced: A Forgotten Group

The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator’s Office of Nepal released a field bulletin about the long-term disaster displacement in the country. Almost all districts across the Far West face losses of lives and proper ty every year due to natural disasters. However, the impact can last well beyond the immediate event. Humanitarian actors have […]

News: Gregory Wannier Analyzes the Legal Implications of Sea-Level Rise

(chinadialogue) July 11, 2011 – In December 2008, a series of swells coinciding with seasonal high (“king”) tide engulfed the island atoll of Majuro, capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. These waves washed out roads and low-lying houses, forced a state of emergency and caused over US$1.5 million […]

New Publication: Migration and Climate Change

UNESCO’s “Migration and Climate Change” brings together the views of 26 leading experts from a range of disciplines such as demography, climatology, economics, geography, anthropology and law. They present case studies from Bangladesh, Brazil, Nepal and the islands of the Pacific, analyzing the often alarming statistics and tearing down the myths associated with one of […]

New Paper: Climate Change and the Risk of Statelessness: The Situation of Low-lying Island States

Susin Park, Head, UNHCR Office for Switzerland and Liechtenstein, wrote a paper entitled “Climate Change and the Risk of Statelessness:The Situation of Low-lying Island States.” The paper begins by examining the elements of statehood under public international law. While there is a strong presumption of continuity for established states, the possibility of a total loss […]