Over the next three decades, climate change may force more than 200 million people to leave their homes and create areas of migratory heat unless urgent measures to reduce global emissions and bridge the development gap are implemented, according to a World Bank report.
The World Bank published the second part of its Groundswell report this week, warning that climate change could force 216 million people relocated throughout six regions of the globe by 2050.
While the report estimates that Sub-Saharan Africa would have up to 86 million internally migrants, East Asia and the Pacific are predicted to have up to 49 million, and South Asia will have 40 million.
These “hotspots” of climate migration could occur within nations in as early as 2030, says the big report.
Under the least toxic environmentally-friendly scenario-one with low emissions and inclusive, sustainable development-the number of migrants could be as high as 80% lower, and yet still move 44 million people.
Climate change is a driving force of internal migration due to its impact on people’s essentials and the loss of livelihoods in highly exposed places.
“reaffirm the potency of climate to induce migration within countries”Viviane Wei Chen Clement
The findings “reaffirm the potency of climate to induce migration within countries” Viviane Wei Chen, a senior climate expert at the World Bank and one of the report’s authors, told the newspaper.
Reuters said that another 19 million could be moved across North Africa, 49 million in East Asia and the Pacific, 17 million in Latin America and 5 million in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
▶️216 million◀️
Climate change could drive 216 million people to migrate within their own countries by 2050. https://t.co/MVNUY5ewow #Groundswell pic.twitter.com/FJ9HAw4Edf
— World Bank (@WorldBank) September 13, 2021