Vulnerability Of Environmental Refugees Sans A Legal Regime

Abstract

Climate change has in recent times been a major cause of migration, leading to climate refugees.  It has bearings not only  on the displaced peoples but impact the local populace, their  economy, language and religion to mention but a few. With the increasing impact of climate change many environmental refugees are facing an existential crisis, being threatened of their lives or mode of livelihoods, resulting in cross border displacement. They are in a vulnerable position for want of any legal protection under any international instrument or even any comprehensive policy.

The present endeavour has been to search for measures at  redressal of the identified problem of climate  induced forced migrants  due to  displacement  on the  environmental footprint.  The role of different organizations including that of the Human Rights Council  has been discussed. The Global Compact on Refugees (GCR ) and Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) besides clean development mechanism and COPs and the Nansen protection agenda  merit  mention.

While stressing on the necessity of a holistic international legal regime, the article suggests extension of the non- refoulment doctrine since environmental refugees is ubiquitous and an issue of critical importance. Inundation and extinction  can certainly be considered as a well founded fear for undertaking such an exercise as submergence of islands, coastlines and swathes of lands becoming  unlivable are likely to increase flow of climate refugees.