Up to one billion climate refugees: IOM
GENEVA (Reuters) – Climate change stands to drive as many as one billion people from their homes over the next four decades, the International Organization for Migration said in a study Tuesday. The IOM report, launched on the second day of international climate talks in Copenhagen, estimated 20 million people were made homeless last year by sudden-onset environmental disasters that are set to amplify as global warming increases. But it found that few of the “climate refugees” are able to leave their countries, lacking the means and the ability to travel to wealthier places. Instead, the report found the displaced people were moving in droves to already-crowded cities — putting extra pressure on the poorer countries at highest risk from environmental stress and degradation associated with climatic shifts. “Aside from the immediate flight in the face of disaster, migration may not be an option for the poorest and most vulnerable groups,” it said. “In general, countries expect to manage environmental migration internally, with the exception of small island states that in some cases have already led to islands disappearing under water, forcing international migration.” …
