Refugee Week event: Stories of climate change and migration

As part of Refugee Week, an event was held at City Hall to address the impact of climate change on people from around the world.

‘Stories of Climate Change and Migration’ was an evening of talks and discussion hosted by Leicester City Council, Leicester Friends of the Earth and Global Justice Leicester. The event highlighted the link between ongoing climate change phenomena and the movement of people.  

Speakers gave their personal stories of how climate change is affecting people in different regions of the world, from Nigeria, the Caribbean, Nicaragua, Bangladesh and the Philippines. The evening was introduced by Cllr Manjula Sood, assistant city mayor responsible for communities and equalities, with a closing speech from Cllr Adam Clarke, assistant city mayor responsible for the environment.

Refugees and migration are rarely far from the headlines but not all refugees are fleeing conflict. As global temperatures increase at rates exceeding most scientific predictions, more and more of the global population are feeling the impacts of climate change. Drought and extreme storms are forcing people to leave their homes in search of a better existence, increasing the risk of communities clashing over precious natural resources such as water.  It is estimated that since 2009, one person every second has been displaced by a disaster, with an average of 22.5 million people displaced by climate- or weather-related events since 2008*.

Mel Gould, member of Leicester Friends of the Earth who chaired the panel, said:

“Tonight we heard heart-rending stories of how climate change is affecting people around the world. Global warming creates extreme weather events, from typhoons in the Philippines to flooding in Bangladesh, which destroy people’s livelihoods and force them to move. But we also heard inspiring stories of people taking action to tackle climate change, like the reforestation project in Nigeria that is fighting the encroaching desert and enormous investments in renewable energy in Nicaragua.

As one of our speakers said tonight, climate change is a social justice problem but it is also a solvable problem and we must deal with it now so that more people are not forced to leave their homes.”

Photograph by Ambrose Musiyiwa, Civic Leicester. Dr. Shofiqui Islam Chowdhury is shown in the centre, who spoke about climate change in Bangladesh.