Environmental Refugees

Environmental refugees flee their homeland due to either an environmental disaster that makes their homeland unlivable, or environmental problems, such as drought, soil erosion, desertification, or deforestation, which result in people being unable to secure a livelihood in their town or village. Many times, particularly in the latter situation, people are forced to flee not because of the environmental problem alone, but because the problem induces severe poverty, causing these populations to believe they have no other option but to seek out a better life elsewhere.

While the term environmental refugees refers to people who flee across an internationally recognized border, many often move to other locations within their nation and are referred to as internally displaced persons. In 2009, the number of displaced people in ...