Extreme weather events alter habitable environments, triggering global displacement. Meeting the Paris Climate Agreement emissions reduction targets will help protect vulnerable communities and reverse the climate refugee crisis.
Extreme weather events alter habitable environments, triggering global displacement. Meeting the Paris Climate Agreement emissions reduction targets will help protect vulnerable communities and reverse the climate refugee crisis.
Extreme weather triggered by the changing climate can have harmful and sometimes deadly impacts on communities around the globe. The increasing occurrence and intensity of severe weather events, like heavy rainfall and prolonged droughts, can cause floods and fires that can make it impossible to live safely in some parts of the world. These conditions also threaten the ability to sustain agriculture and livestock and to procure safe drinking water. As a result, families are often forced to leave their homes to survive. An average of 20 million people leave their homes each year to avoid these dangerous circumstances. It is important to recognize that local policies and actions that contribute to climate change have global consequences for families threatened by these conditions. International treaties and agreements, such as the Paris Climate Agreement, outline shared responsibilities and collective strategies to substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Meeting these goals will help protect vulnerable communities and mitigate the climate refugee crises.