EU warns of climate refugees

The World

Climate refugees are fleeing from scarcity of water, drought, and above all, rising sea levels. Take this Polynesian island where salt from the rising Pacific is slowly killing off the island’s plant life. Experts say most climate refugees will come from Pacific islands but also from lowlands in Asia and drought-stricken regions of Africa, and that’s worrying politicians in Europe. This EU expert cites forced immigration, radicalization, and state failure as things Europe should be worried about. This expert thinks increased pressure on all borders is inevitable. The industrialized world is the chief emitter of greenhouse gases and some experts say the pace of climate change means the issue of climate refugees is about a decade away, but that’s no reason to relax they say. By 2050, says one study there could be 100 million people displace by climate change and there’s no agency to deal with them. One idea is to start from scratch. This Danish expert says the world needs a new international agreement and planning now could help for later. He points out that the most severe migrations will be internal so getting the world community to deal with the issue will be complicated.

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