COP27 is in the rearview mirror, but global leaders must not put climate disasters in the rearview mirror. In just the past couple of years, we’ve seen 700,000 people displaced in Mozambique following a catastrophic cyclone, hundreds of thousands displaced in the Philippines by super typhoons, 247,000 Hondurans displaced by hurricanes with 183,000 more seeking protection outside the country.
These countries and communities need the global community to act, and they need it now.
Climate change is not the sole reason for humanitarian tragedies in these places around the world. But it is the great destabilizer, and its contribution cannot be denied. It fuels war, poverty, floods, and droughts, which in turn fuel displacement. Climate migration will be the biggest challenge the global community will face in the next 25 years. The UN expects over 200 million people to be displaced by 2050 due to worsening climate change. Those least responsible for climate change often bear the brunt of its consequences. Ironically, political leaders in industrialized nations, which are much more responsible for the emissions driving climate change, then turn these climate refugees into scapegoats, fueling xenophobia and a rightward lurch – and making substantive climate policies that much harder to pass.
An equitable solution is needed to combat the great destabilizer. This means ensuring local control over resilient natural resources that thrive because of their sustainable management.
At COP27, one of the big debates was over “loss and damage,” the concept where wealthy nations most responsible for climate change pay smaller, developing nations who bear the brunt of it.
Money is one route. Rights should be another.
The UN Convention on Biodiversity (COP15) being held in Montreal this week is an opportunity for action. We need to build the movement to give local people and Indigenous communities the rights – and the reasons – to be able to remain in their homes. Greater local control over resources not only offers communities stability, but is also a proven path to effective protection of ecosystems critical to combating climate change.
Take, for example, coastal fisheries across the developing tropics, the vast majority of which lie within the territorial waters of nations. These areas of ocean are home to 100% of mangroves and seagrass beds, and 83% of coral reefs globally - ecosystems vital to both climate mitigation and adaptation. These areas are also where high human use meets high biodiversity, with nearly 500 million people relying on these waters for their livelihoods. But a lack of resources leads to poor or ineffective management, leaving them vulnerable to pollution, overfishing, or other destructive fishing practices. Put simply: Top-down management doesn’t work.
However, empowering local governments and local communities to co-manage their fisheries is a proven way to protect nature while meeting the needs of people. Participatory, inclusive, and equitable management of fisheries encourages positive fishing behaviors within communities, and successful stewardship of the resources that protect them. In our experience, this has led to sustained efforts to conserve nature-based solutions to climate change. These are the types of solutions being advanced by the newly formed Climate Migration Council, convened by Emerson Collective. I’m honored to be a part of this remarkable group of visionary leaders from science, government, advocacy, and other sectors to address this impending crisis. During Climate Week in New York this past September, we convened for the first time. During the conversation, I was daunted by the scale of the problem. But I was inspired by how energized and solution-minded those around the table were. The Council can play a critical role in elevating the existential nature of climate migration as well as the unprecedentedly intersectional nature of solutions that may help reduce its impacts over the next fifty years.
But this won’t happen on its own. It will require more public resources and greater private capital. Global leaders must stay ahead of this challenge. Loss and damage facilities are in everyone’s best interest, but mostly serve to address past fossil fuel consumption. It seeks to right past wrongs, but it does not help us envision a way forward.
Looking ahead, we must begin to invest heavily in the biological, social, and economic resilience of the world’s most vulnerable communities. It might be the single best investment we can make in human development and nature protection in the decades to come. We need to build hope for these communities on the frontlines of climate change, especially as it becomes increasingly clear that eventually, we will all be standing on those same frontlines.
Credit: Ezra Acayan / Getty Images
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68 w
Great statement
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71 w
Great statement
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72 w
Very interesting, I will follow the work of the Climate Migration Council, this is a theme I am very sensitive to!
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72 w
Burning fuel is the cause of the climate crisis
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72 w
I'd love to hear more about the Climate Migration Council you're a part of. Thanks for sharing this great article!
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72 w
Great Article, Brett.
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72 w
Thanks for sharing great insights
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72 w
@Rentzhog Thank you for this forum!