A recent World Bank report revealed that an estimated 216 million individuals may eventually have to relocate amid climate change-related concerns.
The study, focusing on a general projection of the size of the population that will be forced to migrate within their own countries in 2050, warns that the figures could be even higher given that Middle Eastern and low-income countries were not factored into the estimates. The countries on the lower side of the economic spectrum are projected to take the hardest hit.
The report also notes that health crises such as COVID-19 are predicted to worsen the matter. According to the report, the largest group likely to face migration challenges includes residents of sub-Saharan Africa, with the figure amounting to 86 million.
"We’re already locked into a certain amount of warming, so climate migration is a reality,” Kanta Kumari Rigaud, one of the report's co-authors, said. “We have to reduce or cut our greenhouse gases to meet the Paris target because those climate impacts are going to escalate and increase the scale of climate migration. The Groundswell report is a stark reminder of the human toll of climate change, particularly on the world’s poorest — those who are contributing the least to its causes. It also clearly lays out a path for countries to address some of the key factors that are causing climate-driven migration."
The most evident reasons for the mandatory migrations include rising sea levels, decreases in agricultural production and water scarcity. Despite the advanced deterioration of the planet’s ecological state, Word Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development Juergen Voegele said there is still time to reduce the damage.
“If countries start now to reduce greenhouse gases, close development gaps, restore vital ecosystems and help people adapt, internal climate migration could be reduced by up to 80% — to 44 million people by 2050,” Voegele said.