Climate Refugees/IDPs

In an article by Nicki Bennet in the New York Times entitled 'Climate Migration' she rightly describes the link between climate change and displacement, reminding us that global climate change is not just a third world problem - the West produces pollution that effects third world countries and will see changes in migration patterns from the effects of climate change.

"It’s also pretty clear that the biggest polluters are not poor countries like Bangladesh, but wealthy nations like the United States, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Canada. The rich countries have committed themselves to doing two things - cutting their greenhouse gas emissions and setting up a fund that helps poor countries cope with the damage already being caused by climate change."

"Poor countries and poor communities in all countries are bearing the brunt of a problem that was caused by the rich, so the rich must pay to help them adapt," says Saleemul Huq, a Bangladeshi who directs the climate change group at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London."

None of the major presidential candidates are talking about the link between climate change and migration. (See their climate change policies: Obama, Clinton, McCain.) This strikes me as odd considering the upheaval about the failure to adequately respond to the survivors (and displaced) of Hurricane Katrina. Not to mention that for low level countries such as Bangladesh, a country of 150 million people (approximately 1045 Bangladeshis crammed into each square kilometer of land), a relatively moderate 10 or 20 centimeters rise in sea level could displace millions within the next 15 years. Such examples show the potential for major changes in forced migration in the upcoming years.