Environmental Disaster & Displacement News

"Climate Change Refugee Bid Denied By New Zealand Court"

"A Pacific Island man's bid to become a climate change refugee suffered a blow on Tuesday after a New Zealand court refused to let him challenge a decision denying him asylum."

"Urbanites Flee China's Smog for Blue Skies"

"Dali:  A typical morning for Lin Liya, a native of Shanghai transplanted to this ancient town in southwest China, goes like this: See her 3-year-old son off to school near the mountains; go for a half-hour run on the shores of Erhai Lake; and browse the local market for fresh vegetables and meat.

Opinion: "Climate Refugees Suffer in Obscurity"

"International law needs to acknowledge persons displaced by the changing climate."

"Brazilian Court Halts Belo Monte Dam"

"BRASILIA -- A halt to construction of the controversial Belo Monte Hydroelectric Dam on the Amazon’s Xingu River was ordered late Monday by a federal court in the Brazilian capital. If built, Belo Monte would be the world’s third-largest dam, diverting up to 80 percent of the Xingu River from its natural course. Indigenous people of the Xingu River region and conservationists from Brazil and other countries have been demonstrating against the proposed dam for years." Environment News Service had the story August 16, 2012.

"Asian Storms Leave Hundreds Dead, Millions Displaced"

"BEIJING -- Three typhoons that blasted across Chinese coastal areas in the past two weeks have caused 51 deaths and left 21 people missing as of Monday, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. In Bangladesh, flash floods have killed 130, in India more than 100 people have died, while in the Philippines heavy rains and floods have claimed 92 lives."

"Was The Uprising in Syria Exacerbated By Climate Change?"

"As the climate shifts, the impacts on any given nation will vary. Some few will see positive changes. Many will be disrupted. That disruption was apparent in the Sudan during the last decade. And now it’s being suggested that climate change also played a role in Syria." Philip Bump reports for Grist August 16, 2012.

"Climate Change: Countries That May Be Hit Hardest"

"Rising seas threaten to drown island countries such as the Maldives and Kiribati in the era of global warming — a dire scenario that has forced leaders to plan for floating cities or consider moving their entire populations to neighboring countries. Most countries won't need to take such drastic steps to simply survive, but many more will similarly experience the uglier side of climate change."

"Rwanda: Refugee Influx Puts Pressure on Environment"

"The National Environment management Authority (REMA) has called for a well planned and organised way of resettling the people fleeing into the country as result of conflicts especially those being resettled in refugee camps. According to the Atlas of Rwanda's changing environment released last week, there is a likely increase of climate change and associated environmental catastrophes."

Analysis: "The Rising Tide -- Environmental Refugees"

"The modern world has long thought of refugees in strictly political terms, victims in a world riven by competing ideologies. But as climate change continues unabated, there is a growing population of displaced men, women and children whose homes have been rendered unlivable thanks to a wide spectrum of environmental disasters."

"FAO Calls East Africa Aid Meeting for Thursday"

"The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization will hold its latest session on the humanitarian food crisis in the Horn of Africa on Thursday in Rome, Italy. "Nowhere are high food prices, poverty and instability combining to produce tragic suffering more than in the Horn of Africa,” World Bank President Robert Zoellick noted Monday. " Ian Elliott reports for Feedstuffs August 16, 2011.