New Podcasts

Again, thanks to Forced Migration Current Awareness, we learned of a series of podcasts that deal with environmentally-induced migration : Stephen Castles Speaks on Climate Refugees (BBC, May 2011) [access] “Environmental Refugee” Not Accurate for Pacific (Radio Australia, May 2011) [access] Tuvaluans Don’t Want to be Called Refugees (Radio Australia, May 2011) [access] Many thanks, […]

News: Fantasy Images of Climate Migration Will Fuel Existing Prejudices

(The Guardian) October 27, 2010 – The effects of climate change are so hard to imagine that we should welcome an exhibition of Postcards from the Future that promises “Images that bring ideas to life and frame the climate debate in a way that everyone can understand”. Unfortunately the debate it frames is dangerous and the main reason […]

Towards a Soft Law Protection for "Distress Migrants"

“A complex range of often inter-related factors – including the environment and nature, conflict, and the international political economy – contribute to creating the imperatives and incentives for people to leave their countries and cross international borders”, writes Alexander Betts in *. All of these push factors, he argues, might not necessarily guarantee protective status […]

Translating Environmental Migrants’ Rights from Philosophy to Policy

Last week, New Orleans not only hosted Mardi Gras, but also the 2010 ISA Annual Convention. The International Studies Association (ISA) was founded to promote research and education in international affairs, and its annual convention is usually a who’s who of academics, journalists, and policy makers. This year’s conference, with the theme of “Theory vs. […]

Who Counts as a "Climate Refugee"?

(The New Republic) January 4, 2010 – Joanna Kakissis has a nicely reported piece in The New York Times today on climate-driven migration in developing countries. The concept’s pretty simple: As the planet heats up, many regions are expected to see more frequent (and more severe) floods, droughts, and storms, which will uproot a bunch […]

UNHCR Reviews its Role in Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change

(Climate-L.org) The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has released a fact sheet on the involvement, challenges and responses that the organization is facing in addressing the impacts of climate change. Currently, UNHCR estimates that the number of refugees worldwide exceeds 15 million, with an additional 26 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have fled persecution. Climate […]