Extreme weather

Throughout Earth's history, there have always been severe natural disasters. But climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of storms, droughts and floods in our time: rising sea levels are posing a growing threat to people in many coastal areas. Prolonged dry spells are destroying entire harvests. Extreme rainfall is causing widespread flooding.

In the coming decades, climate change could render some regions of the Earth uninhabitable. Even today, an average of around 26 million people per year are forced to leave their homes due to extreme weather events.

Yet their migration often leads into uncertainty: the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention, which was formulated primarily in response to political persecution during the preceding world wars, does not recognise climate change as a reason for displacement. As a result, affected people have so far had no right to claim asylum in other countries. Even a UN agreement has been unable to change this: while the 2018 Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration does recognise climate change as a cause of displacement and forced migration, it is not legally binding for the 152 member states that agreed to it (including Germany). The USA, Hungary, Israel, the Czech Republic and Poland voted against the agreement. The remaining states either did not take part in the vote or abstained.

You can find out more at: leibniz-magazin.de