In the ongoing public debate on whether or not climate change is caused by humans, politicians, journalists and activists often mention the threat of the increasing number of “climate refugees”. However, the term “climate refugee” is not the one that is legally recognized.

Origin of Climate Refugees

After the disastrous events of World War II and redistribution of much of the European population, the United Nations General Assembly decided in December 1950 to hold a conference in order to negotiate and sign a Convention describing the Status of Refugees and Statelessness people.

In July 1951, twenty-six countries were represented in Geneva to agree on a new Convention framing(proposing??) a legal status and an international protection for refugees. The goal of this convention was to find a legal definition for refugees. The characteristics that define refugees can be categorized in three ways:

• The fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion;
• The person is outside the country of his or her nationality (or habitual residence);
• The person is unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of that country.

Only these three elements frame the legal definition of a refugee. This is why a so-called climate refugee does not match the criteria of the Geneva Convention.

Climate displaced persons numbers are expected to rise.

The purple represents the “dry corridor” in Central America, which falls mostly within Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

In June 2011, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) released a report showing that in 2010, more than 42 million persons were displaced because of natural disasters. Among these 42 million persons, NRC highlighted that 90% of them were displaced because of climate related events such as floods and storms. Here in Texas, thousands of Central American migrants arrive at the border each month, fleeing both grinding poverty and unchecked gang violence. Increasingly, they’re also escaping the effects of climate change. The narrow strip of land flanked by oceans known as Central America is one of the world’s most environmentally vulnerable regions. “It’s an area hit by hurricanes on both sides, rocked by volcanic eruptions, drought, earthquakes, and with accelerating climate change, it’s even more vulnerable,” said María Cristina García, a Cornell University professor of American studies who’s writing a book about climate refugees.

As Texans, we are connected to a border shared with millions of people being affected by the harsh reality of climate change. We need to educate both ourselves and our fellow Texans about climate refugees and understand that these people are having to flee their homes due to the actions of humans across the world. Showing these people compassion is the least we can do as fellow humans.