Climate migrants stand to overwhelm world …

Climate migrants stand to overwhelm world megacities

The report by the C40 Cities coalition and the Mayors Migration Council highlights the impending mass reshuffling of populations in climate-vulnerable nations due to extreme environmental and weather events. It predicts that by 2050, Bangladesh could see up to 3.1 million internally displaced migrants moving to Dhaka, adding to the city s already crowded population of 12 million. Similarly, Colombia is expected to see nearly 600,000 climate migrants settle in Bogota, where a water shortage affects eight million people. The report focuses on the global south, where climate impacts and urban challenges are more intense. Without significant reductions in global carbon emissions, 10 of the fastest-growing megacities across Africa, South America, South Asia, and the Middle East could see an influx of eight million internal migrants by mid-century. This population influx will further strain local services and accelerate unchecked urbanization, with incoming migrants often settling in vulnerable neighborhoods. The report also emphasizes that cities can substantially mitigate the impacts of climate migration if global temperature rise is limited to 1.5°C as set by the Paris Agreement. In this scenario, the internal climate migrant population in cities like Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, and Karachi could be three times lower than if global emissions do not meet the Paris Agreement goal. Some cities, such as Freetown and Accra, are already preparing for the population influx by supporting informal waste collectors, many of whom are migrants. Amman, Jordan, is creating green spaces and education programs for young newcomers, while Bangladesh is attempting to alleviate overcrowding in Dhaka by diverting newcomers to migrant-friendly towns nearby. Researchers stress that the burden of addressing climate migration should not fall solely on receiving cities. National governments and the private sector must take action to reduce climate risks and emissions. The report concludes that the most significant issue to address in order to reduce the impacts of climate migration on cities is to reduce emissions, with responsibility shared by everyone.

Source: businesstimes.com.sg
Published on 2024-09-29

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