Climate change seen displacing millions
Up to 40.5 million people in South Asia may be forced to move by 2050.
NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — Climate change is threatening livelihoods and forcing people from their homes across South Asia, but technology and government action could help limit the damage, the United Nations migration chief told Agence France-Presse on Friday.
Rising seas, flooding and drought threaten homes and farmland, Amy Pope, director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said during a visit to New Delhi.
In the Himalayas, she pointed to Nepal’s 26 August disaster, when a mountain and glacier collapse triggered deadly flooding, where IOM sent humanitarian aid to help.
In a worst-case scenario, up to 40.5 million people in South Asia may be forced to move by 2050, according to IOM.
“When they can’t produce food, when they can’t feed their livestock, it increases the likelihood of displacement,” said Pope. “The first adaptation is often for people to move.”
Pope said climate change was also accelerating urbanization in India.
“As people seek shelter from heat, they’re going into urban centers,” she said.
The risks are particularly acute in South Asia, where vast populations and limited resources leave many communities vulnerable.
“There’s a lack of urgency globally about the risks that vulnerable communities are facing,” Pope said, warning that funding to help residents prepare for climate change remained inadequate.
“The cost of a humanitarian disaster is in the billions. The cost of investing in some of the resilience measures can be far less,” she said.
Better data and artificial intelligence could help governments identify communities at risk before disaster strikes, Pope said.