More than a billion people, one in seven, on earth today could be forced out from their homes between now and 2050 if climate change worsens. The climate change is likely to lead to expansion of barren deserts that in turn could mean more forced migration.
These were the findings made in a report, 'Human tide: the real migration crisis' published by a UK development charity, Christian Aid, disclosed sources here on Wednesday. It warns that the world is now facing mass migration, which would probably exceed the target that was seen at the end of Second World War.
The analysis, based on UN population and climate change figures, says that conflict, large-scale development projects and widespread environmental deterioration would combine to make life unsupportable for hundreds of millions of people, mostly in the Sahara belt, South Asia and the Middle East.
According to the report, over 155 million people are already displaced by conflict, disaster and large-scale development projects. The vast majority of future migrants would be from the world's poorest countries, which advocates urgent action by the world community if the worst effects of this crisis are to be averted.
It argues that these "internally displaced persons" have no rights under international law and no official voice. "Their living conditions are likely to be desperate and in many cases their lives will be in danger," the report adds.
Sources disclosed that another report 'Legacy of disasters', published recently by 'Save the Children', another UK-based development charity, showed concern about the effect of climate change on children. "They would be hit hardest by increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters," it added.
According to it, in any emergency, half of all those affected already happen to be children. Over the next decade it estimates that up to 175 million children would be affected by climate-related natural disasters every year. Countries where there are few adequate warning systems are likely to be most affected by slow-moving disasters like temperature extremes, desertification and a rise in the sea levels, all to be brought about by the looming climate change.