There is an aspect of environmental movement caused by issues of climate change that is growing into a humanitarian consequence of climate change. It refers to people migrating due to climate-induced events such as droughts, rising sea levels, and lack of sufficient rainfall. Climate change has contributed to migration in several parts of the world, including Nigeria, which is dependent on natural resources and agriculture. The west-African country is less adaptable to climate change and has poor infrastructure and weak institutions to deal with the effects of climate change. This paper discusses the pathways linking climate change and migration in Nigeria, focusing on the analysis of the “Climate Refugees” documentary. It looks to understand how climate change and associated conflicts influence stability and movement in Nigeria.
The film “Climate Refugees,” released in 2010, describes issues of climate-linked migration. In this documentary, experts are interviewed on the effects of climate change and migration. The film accurately depicts what people are facing across the world, including issues of violence leading to the movement. The film does not debate the causes of climate change but focuses on the impact it has on the population. While the movie discussed the plight of people displaced by climatically induced environmental disasters, it focused on experts rather than victims of climate change. This film reveals that there will be millions of new refugees around the globe due to environmental migration. It provides a basis for discussing and understanding this phenomenon of climate-induced migration around the world. For example, the rising sea levels are threatening the residents of numerous people staying along the ocean base. The film also explores the impact of climate migration on international politics, since little has been done to deal with the potential implications of this environmental problem.
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This documentary has a powerful message that applies to the situation in Nigeria, which has reported different stories of climate migration with displacement caused by a combination of drought and warmer temperatures. The country is vulnerable to climate change impacts such as drought with shifts in rainfall and sea levels, which has contributed to climate change migration. It has also experienced rising sea levels and increased flooding in different parts that make the land uninhabitable. People are migrating because of climate-induced phenomena such as natural disasters, especially in the Nile Delta. Reports have revealed numerous cases of displacement due to climate change that they cannot return home. Many parts of the country are likely to experience severe weather that is becoming harsher and more common.
Climate change and ecological degradation have affected human mobility in Nigeria by making some parts of the world less viable to live in. Millions of people are being displaced across the globe with sea-level rise, land degradation, and increased temperatures. The Sahel Belt region has been characterized by devastating effects of climate change, including rising temperatures and increasing frequency of natural disasters. At the same time, the Niger Delta region of the country has been a conflict-prone spot as well as the arid northeast areas. These areas have experienced extreme climate changes and conflicts leading to movement
This migration to other regions has spurred friction with the population in the South, creating conflicts due to competition for land. In Nigeria, climate change has led to conflicts in some parts of the world, which forces people to move to other areas. The main reason for migration is when the benefit of moving is more than that of not running from a place. The climate-induced movement has been associated with violence and in Nigeria, mostly associated with a shortage of resources. There are resource shortages in the northeast arid areas due to desertification, which has led to degradation in land productivity.
The effects of climate change have led to population displacements as migrants relocate to other areas due to damage or loss of land. In essence, Climate change has primarily affected farmers in Nigeria who rely on their farms for livelihoods. A larger Nigerian population depends on natural resources for their livelihood. 5 However, acreage of arable land has reduced due to climate change with frequent droughts impoverishing and indebting Nigerians. People are left without adequate food and are forced to migrate to other areas for better economic opportunities. This means there will be a risk of conflict and violence whenever these resources become scarce
Climate-induced immigrants are categorized into those seeking for more land and others seeking employment. The first category comprises of farmers who are forced to encroach on other areas for livelihood. In Nigeria, they consist of cattle herders who are affected by drought and warmer temperatures that make it challenging to take care of their animals. Desertification due to climate change now affects a majority of the population in the Northern areas of Nigeria. Pastoralists are shifting their migratory routes further south in search of animal fodder and better grazing. As a result, there have been clashes between farmers and nomadic herders over the encroachment in their areas of land.
However, there have been other forms of climate migration that has forced rural-urban migration in search of labour. Labour migration from rural to urban areas characterizes this climate-induced migration, as people move to areas where they can continue with their livelihoods. Climate migrants move to urban areas looking to better their standards of living as well as in more significant economic opportunities. Such people are mostly unable to resist the climate-induced hardships that include poverty and instability. Primarily, men are associated with migrating to urban areas for work while leaving their women behind to take care of household issues. There are several internally displaced individuals in Nigeria due to climate change as they seek better means of livelihood. Extreme weather events are wreaking unimaginable havoc in several disaster-prone regions in Nigeria, ruining the livelihoods of the population.
Climate change has been affecting stability and security for affected areas. Droughts and desertification have led to civil unrest in parts of Nigeria that have the potential to cause war. For example, there have been unrests in the Niger Delta due to clashes between farmers over the scarce resources. Other regions have experienced increasing tensions that turn violent due to a shortage of funds. At the same time, terrorist groups such as Boko Haram have emerged to fight for the scarcity of resources in the country as they seek to defend their territory. In some regions already experiencing conflicts, climate change acts as a catalyst for more clashes for resources. Nigeria also has sharp ethnic divides that make it more prone to conflict and violence. The disputes have contributed to numerous people being displaced, with many joining the flow of migrants to Europe.
In conclusion, climate migration is an issue of concern for the international community that requires urgent addressing. This concern is brought about by questions on whether a person displaced by climate change should be defined as refugees or climate migrants. Currently, there is no consensus among policymakers regarding the proper treatment of individuals displaced by climate change. In most cases, such people are treated as economic migrants, though they need a better representation that offers protection from the effects of climate change. At the same time, there have been inadequate adaptive responses in Nigeria, which have fueled violent conflicts. 9 The government is unable to find solutions to these problems due to a lack of sufficient information on climate migration. However, governments and private actors need to develop adaptive responses to this migration issue.
References
Baldwin, Andrew, Chris Methmann, and Delf Rothe. "Securitizing 'climate refugees': the futurology of climate-induced migration." Critical Studies on Security 2, no. 2 (2014): 121-130.
Niasse, Madiodio. "Climate-induced water conflict risks in West Africa: Recognizing and Coping with increasing climate impacts on shared watercourses." Human Security and Climate Change. PRIO, CICERO and GECHS, Asker, Norway (2005): 21-23.
Reuveny, Rafael. "Climate change-induced migration and violent conflict." Political geography , 26, no. 6 (2007): 656-673.
Rafael Reuveny. Climate change-induced migration and violent conflict ( Political geography , 2007): 656-673
Rafael Reuveny. Climate change-induced migration and violent conflict ( Political geography , 2007): 656-673
Baldwin, Methmann, and Rothe. Securitizing 'climate refugees': the futurology of climate-induced migration ( Critical Studies on Security , 2014): 121-130
Rafael Reuveny. Climate change-induced migration and violent conflict ( Political geography , 2007): 656-673
Baldwin, Methmann, and Rothe. Securitizing 'climate refugees': the futurology of climate-induced migration ( Critical Studies on Security , 2014): 121-130
Niasse, Madiodio. Climate-induced water conflict risks in West Africa: Recognizing and Coping with increasing climate impacts on shared watercourses ( Human Security and Climate Change. 2005): 21-23
Rafael Reuveny. Climate change-induced migration and violent conflict ( Political geography , 2007): 656-673
Baldwin, Methmann, and Rothe. Securitizing 'climate refugees': the futurology of climate-induced migration ( Critical Studies on Security , 2014): 121-130
Niasse, Madiodio. Climate-induced water conflict risks in West Africa: Recognizing and Coping with increasing climate impacts on shared watercourses ( Human Security and Climate Change. 2005): 21-23
