Environmental refugee a person is called, who due to environmental changes or natural catastrophes from their homeland was sold. According to estimations of the university of the United Nations (UNU) the number of the environmental refugees will rise up to the year 2010 on up to 50 million. United nation University of institutes for Environment and human Security (2005): As Ranks OF "“Environmental Refugees"” Swell Worldwide, call Grow for Better definition, Recognition, support. To press statement, 12 October, see on-line

The term decreases/goes back to the scientist Essam El Hinnawi, which introduced it 1985. Since then it was used in various way, could succeed however only in beginnings. Particularly the numerous different scientific definitions of environmental escape let the term become unclear. Black, Richard (2001): Environmental of refugees: myth or New Issues in Refugee Research, No. 34, Geneva/Sussex (pdf) sinks for example by soil erosion the productivity of the soil, is reduced thereby the harvest which draws losses with the as well as with the available income of the Humans sometime leave a so degradiertes area, and it is unclearly whether it as environmental or as restaurant economics be classified should, since both is applicable in principle.

Causes

As a cause for developing environmental refugees numerous different environmental changes are called, among them Desertifikation, soil erosion, salting of the soils and Wassermangel. In the future additional humans could be forced to the migration also by the effects of the global heating up, if this not already happened.

According to franc the causes for environmental escape can Biermann be divided in four main groups: Biermann, Frank (2001): Environmental refugees. Causes and solutions, in: From politics and contemporary history 12/2001, page 24-29 (pdf)

• Deposition - by environmental pollution like excessive Pestizideinsatz uneconomically or even uninhabitable made areas
• Degradation - local environmental degradation, which makes the past way of life impossible, e.g. by Wassermangel
• Disaster - natural catastrophes, also humanly induced
• Destabilization - by environmental degradation gestresste and finally falling apart social nets, to in addition wars leading development

Quite

So far only the possibility exists of attaining due to natural catastrophes a temporary right of asylum in Sweden, Finland and the USA. The office of the high refugee commissioner of the United Nations (UNHCR) orients itself however with his definition of refugees at the description in that Geneva refugee convention of 1951, which does not know driving out by environmental degradation. Only in recent publications UNHCR dedicates itself to the phenomenon and recognizes natural catastrophes than reason for refugee movements an.UNHCR (2006): The State OF the World' s Refugees - to DISPLACEMENT into the new Millennium, see on-line

Sources

Literature

• Conisbee, Molly, and Andres Simms (2003): Environmental Refugees - The Case for Recognition. New Economics Foundation pocket Book, London (pdf)
• Reuveny, Rafael, 2005: Environmental CHANGE, migration and Conflict: Theoretical analysis and Empirical exploration. PAPER presented RK the internationally Workshop "“human Security and Climate CHANGE"” in Asker, Norway, 21-23 June (pdf)

Articles in category "Environmental refugee"

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