As the number of climate change associated disasters increases, more people are also being forced to flee their homes, especially in Asia, according to Switzerland based organisation Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).
A report by IDMC reveals that in 2022 a record 32.6m internal displacements were associated with catastrophic events — more than the 28.3m displaced by conflict and violence in the same year. It is significant to note that four of the top five countries with the highest number of new internal displacements due to climate disasters in 2022 were in Asia.
The report found that in 2022, Pakistan had the highest number at 8.2m, followed by the Philippines at 5.5m and China at 3.6m.
According to a 2021 World Bank report, climate change could force 216m people across six regions to move within their countries by 2050. Industry experts have, however, noted that these estimates may understate the reality. They said that the projections point in one direction, they are going to increase very rapidly.
IDMC director Alexandra Bilak said, “Today’s displacement crises are growing in scale, complexity and scope, and factors like food insecurity, climate change and escalating and protracted conflicts are adding new layers to this phenomenon. Greater resources and further research are essential to help understand and better respond to internally displaced persons’ needs.”
Moreover, South Asia is likely to have the most people displaced by climate change due to the density of its populations and its vulnerability to the effects of climate change. In particular, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan are likely to be the most affected.
According to the World Economic Forum, 10% to 18% of South Asia’s GDP is at risk due to climate disasters. This is at about thrice the risk North America faces and 10 times more than Europe.
While internal displacement due to climate change is much more common than cross-border displacement, people may gradually start moving across borders as the effects of climate change worsen. M