By 2050, internal climate migrants may account for more than six percent of the population in North Africa and roughly 3.5 percent of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa. This estimate is based on a pessimistic scenario of high greenhouse gases emission and unequal development. Across the six regions studied, over 2.3 percent of the population is projected to be displaced by the mid-century.
Who are the climate migrants?
Climate migrants leave their homes due to unfavorable or harsh environmental changes influenced by global climate change. Estimating or pinpointing new regions where these climate stressors are the causal link for migration requires complex models or calculations. As migration is not solely based on climate change, socio-economic factors, such as political stability, failing economies, or human rights abuses play a substantial role.
Concerns of rising temperatures
Since the Industrial Revolution, the global average surface temperature has risen by over one degree Celsius. This temperature rise brings unfamiliar local weather patterns, making some types of extreme weather events more frequent. In recent years, the number of people displaced by weather disasters has increased due to unfavorable conditions such as heatwaves, droughts, increased rainfall, flooding, and sea-level rise.
Projected share of internal climate migrants displaced worldwide by 2050, by region
average figures, considering a pessimistic (reference) scenario, with high global greenhouse gas emissions and an unequal development pathway
Supplementary notes
According to the source, climate-driven migration refers to "migration that can be attributed largely to the slow-onset impacts of climate change on livelihoods owing to shifts in water availability and crop productivity, or to factors such as sea-level rise or storm surge".
Figures only includes internal displacement. It does not consider cross-border migration, or shorter-term mobility (such as seasonal or cyclical migration).
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World Bank. (September 13, 2021). Projected share of internal climate migrants displaced worldwide by 2050, by region [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1274756/climate-migration-share-population-region-scenario/
World Bank. "Projected share of internal climate migrants displaced worldwide by 2050, by region." Chart. September 13, 2021. Statista. Accessed October 10, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1274756/climate-migration-share-population-region-scenario/
World Bank. (2021). Projected share of internal climate migrants displaced worldwide by 2050, by region. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 10, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1274756/climate-migration-share-population-region-scenario/
World Bank. "Projected Share of Internal Climate Migrants Displaced Worldwide by 2050, by Region." Statista, Statista Inc., 13 Sep 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1274756/climate-migration-share-population-region-scenario/
World Bank, Projected share of internal climate migrants displaced worldwide by 2050, by region Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1274756/climate-migration-share-population-region-scenario/ (last visited October 10, 2024)
Projected share of internal climate migrants displaced worldwide by 2050, by region [Graph], World Bank, September 13, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1274756/climate-migration-share-population-region-scenario/