According to experts from the United Nations on the environment, in the next five years, approximately 50 million people will be forced to leave their homes due to the depletion of land resources.
A new term will emerge in this context: “Environmental Refugees“.
Scientists predict that land degradation and resource depletion, along with environmental pollution in certain regions around the world, will compel some people to abandon their homes and escape these areas. This phenomenon will give rise to a new class of refugees, similar to political or economic refugees – environmental refugees.
“Regions that are depleted and deteriorating in natural resources and land are the ‘homeland’ of environmental refugees. The causes of this phenomenon are likely due to the improper use of land resources, compounded by increasingly severe weather conditions. Additionally, the high population growth rate is also one of the causes leading to this new social phenomenon,” said Ianosh Bogardi, a UN environmental issues researcher.
Changes in Relevant Treaties are Necessary
In a report on global disasters prepared by the International Red Cross in 1999, it was noted that droughts, floods, and resource depletion have forced 25 million people to abandon their homes in search of new lands.
Additionally, according to UN experts, environmental refugees should also be entitled to the same rights as those receiving political or conflict-related refugee status. To achieve this, international legal documents need to be drafted.
“We need to clearly understand and distinguish the concepts of political asylum, economic asylum, and environmental asylum. This will help us identify the issue and prepare appropriate responses and solutions.”
There is another issue at hand: historically, we have considered refugees to be those who completely abandon their homeland and cross borders. However, recently, after Hurricane Katrina, many individuals were forced to leave their homes and became refugees, yet they did not cross any borders.
Mai Hoa
