Climate change could cause 216 mn to migrate: World Bank
Part of: Prelims and GS III – Climate change
Context World Bankhas recently published Groundswell report.
The report examined how the impacts of slow-onset climate change, such as water scarcity, decreasing crop productivity and rising sea levels, could result in millions of “climate migrants” by 2050
Key findings of the report
Climate change could push more than 200 million people to leave their homes in the next three decades and create migration hotspots unless urgent action is taken to reduce global emissions and bridge the development gap.
The report forecasts up to 216 million people moving within their own countries across the six regions analysed.
Those regions are Latin America; North Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Eastern Europe and Central Asia; South Asia; and East Asia and the Pacific.
In the most climate-friendly scenario, with a low level of emissions and inclusive, sustainable development, the world could still see 44 million people being forced to leave their homes.
In South Asia, Bangladesh is particularly affected by flooding and crop failures, accounting for almost half of the predicted climate migrants.
Findings regarding African region:
Sub-Saharan Africa — the most vulnerable region due to desertification, fragile coastlines and the population’s dependence on agriculture — would see the most migrants, with up to 86 million people moving within national borders.
North Africa is predicted to have the largest proportion of climate migrants, with 19 million people moving.
The northeastern Tunisia, northwestern Algeria, western and southern Morocco, and the central Atlas foothills will face increased water scarcity.
