The burning of fossil fuels and other human activity is causing climate changes that affects environment and the way that people live. This can cause climate refugees — people who need to flee their home as a result of climate change.
Many people are already suffering from the consequences of climate change. Often it is the poorest in the world who are hit the hardest by this.
What to do
Look at the pictures in the attached PDF, they are part of a picture story about a child. Put them in an order to create a story about the child based on what you see in the pictures.
What did you base your story on? Did the pictures remind you of anything you have heard about?
Now read the following story. Was your story close to this refugee story?
Samha’s Story
Samha lives with her parents on a beautiful island in the Maldives. The island is very small, there are only around 20 other families living there. Samha loves playing on the beach right in front of their house. Her father is a fisherman like almost all men from the island. Very early in the morning they leave on their boats.
But when Samha gets older, something chang- es on the island: The beach where Samha and her friends play every day after school is getting smaller and smaller. When there is a storm, the waves already reach the house. The men can still go fishing, but everyone is more and more worried about what will happen in the future. Will their island, where every one of them was born, suddenly disappear under the sea? Where will they live? Will they find another island? All families come together one evening to think about what they can do. The president of the Maldives has agreed to help them to move to a bigger island in the Maldives.
One day the water reaches up to the first line of houses — when Samha steps out of the door, her feet are almost immedi- ately in the sea. It is time for everyone to leave the island. Very sadly they get onto the ship that has come to pick them up and wave goodbye to the island that was their home. The ship brings them to Male, one of the main islands of their island state. There they live in the capital city, a very crowded town. Samha’s parents have to find work. There are already so many fishermen that the fishing boats don’t need her father anymore. But they are sure they will find something.
Illustrate another story
Choose one of the other stories in the PDF and make your own pictures for it. The characters in all these stories are fictional, but their situations are things that have been happening around the world.
More to think about
What did you think of the stories? How did they make you feel?
Why do you think the families in the stories had to leave their homes?
Why do you think the environment of the families has changed?
The Red Cross estimates that there are more environmental refugees (including those fleeing from natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcano outbreaks) than political refugees fleeing from conflict and war. There were 36 million environmental refugees in 2009. In 2050 there might be more than 50 million people who have to migrate because of desertification, lack of water, salination of irrigated lands (because the sea level is rising) and the loss of biodiversity. Estimates go up to 250 million climate refugees in 2050 if the greenhouse effect continues at the same rate as in the last years.
Who do you think are the biggest greenhouse gas emitters? There is a map here which illustrates the level of CO2 emissions per person through time.
Is it fair that these three families had to flee from their homes? Why? / Why not? Do you think the same could happen in your country?
What can be done to prevent that more people become climate refugees?
Take it further
This activity was adapted from the Handbook for Action Against Climate Change from our partners at IFM-SEI. With lots of useful background information and more activities for groups on the climate emergency.
Find out more about how the greenhouse effect works with Greenhouse Cinema. Refugees often experience racism, why not have a look at our Anti-Racist activities and resources.
