Migrantes climáticos. Soluciones complejas para un problema global

The eyes set upon an endless sea, whose depth conceals memories, experiences, and a sense of identity that has been swallowed by the sea itself. This is how the community of El Bosque, Tabasco, contemplates land that once was part of their home, now reduced to the sound of waves crashing against the walls of the houses still standing. This community, with a little more than 150 people primarily dedicated to fishing, has been recognized by various organizations as the first to be forced to relocate due to climatological causes (Greenpeace México, 2022). This is because of the last Norte—strong wind gusts that can reach speeds of 35 to 100 kilometers per hour—which have destroyed 40 houses due to the advancing coastline. Like El Bosque, many other communities in Mexico and around the world are facing the same threat, leaving their inhabitants increasingly vulnerable.

The one in the back was my house, the product of many years of fishing work. Now I have lost my home. It is a difficult reality for us to accept displacement, but here we are, fighting, and we will continue to do so because we have nowhere to go.

Cristina Isabel, resident of El Bosque

ENVIRONMENTAL MIGRATION, A GLOBAL PHENOMENON
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) defines environmental migration as:
In this text we analyze some of the implications of climate change on migration through examples, ethical and social considerations, and the various approaches from the perspective of health.

MIGRATION AS A RESPONSE TO CLIMATE ADVERSITY
There are multiple factors to consider when attempting to understand migration. It is not possible to understand this phenomenon without an interdisciplinary approach. Parrish et al. (2020) have conceptualized migration in four dimensions: social, temporal, spatial and of agency. The social dimension encompasses both microscale (individual and family) and macro-scale (regional or population community). The temporal dimension refers to the duration of migration: short-term (months) or long-term (more than one year). The spatial dimension is concerned with the physical distance traveled during the migration process (intra or interregional). Finally, the agency dimension corresponds to the degree of choice and autonomy migrants have over their situation.

If we put these dimensions into practice, we can classify the community of El Bosque in a macro-scale social level, as it affects a whole community. They have a practically nil level of agency, as they are unable to influence the outcome of the rising sea levels. The temporal and spatial dimensions are not yet defined, as the families of El Bosque are currently undergoing relocation, with the duration and distance of this process still uncertain.

ENVIRONMENTAL REFUGEES IN LATIN AMERICA
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has pointed out that the effects of climate change are aggravated by inequality, poverty, uncontrolled population growth, and the occupation of high-risk locations (IPCC, 2022). Latin American countries are particularly vulnerable to all these issues. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), over 1.7 million new displacements due to disasters in the Americas were recorded (IDMC, 2022). The region’s heterogeneous climatic events include massive displacements in Peru caused by El Niño phenomenon, fires in the Amazon rainforests, droughts in central Chile or floods in the Brazil’s Nordeste. These events underscore the need for a comprehensive understanding of migration in Latin America, as populations in the Caribbean and the Mexican highlands, for example, do not migrate the same way. Thus, collaborative governments participation is also necessary to address these shared challenges, which appear to be worsening. In Mexico, phenomena such as hydric stress are already affecting thousands of families and communities in major cities like Mexico City, Monterrey, Culiacán and Hermosillo. These cities have experienced significant industrial and commercial growth, but their inhabitants are beginning to suffer from water scarcity (Daowz, 2022).

EXAMPLES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Floods in Tabasco, Mexico
In October 2007, Tabasco faced catastrophic flooding after exceptional rainfall in the Grijalva river basin inundated approximately 70 per cent of Tabasco’s lowlands. This disaster affected over one million people, mainly in the city of Villahermosa. These floods, aggravated by population growth and the development of settlements in floodprone areas, highlighted the region’s vulnerability to extreme events and the need for improved flood management, more effective land use planning, and early warning systems (Aparicio et al., 2009).

Drought in the Sahel Region, Africa
The Sahel region faces extreme environmental fragility, marked by rising temperatures and rainfall variability. This situation has led to increased droughts, desertification and reduction of humid seasons, impacting agriculture, fisheries and food systems (Myers, 2002). The region, already weakened by political and economic problems, has seen how climate change and environmental degradation increase food insecurity and forced migration. Studies by Myers (2002), Warner et al. (2010), McMichael et al. (2012), and Black et al. (2011), address the growing concern about environmental migrations in the context of climate change.

Storms in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including severe storms and flooding. Studies such as those by Ahsan and Warner (2014) and Dasgupta et al. (2014) have shown that storms and rising sea levels have led to massive displacement, affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. The country’s high population density and its low-lands geography amplify its susceptibility to climate-related events.

These three scenarios illustrate the complex interaction between climate change and natural disasters and extreme events. In Tabasco, flooding demonstrated the critical need for improved infrastructure and urban planning in floodprone areas. In the Sahel region, droughts and desertification emphasize the pressing need to address food security and access to sustainable resources. In Bangladesh, severe storms highlight the importance of preparing for extreme events and sea level rise.

These cases exemplify the global diversity of climate challenges and emphasize the necessity for integrated and adaptive approaches to disaster management and development planning across various sectors. Despite geographic and climatic differences, the problems faced by Tabasco, the Sahel region, and Bangladesh share a common cause in climate change, and effective management of these challenges requires global collaboration, adaptive policies, and a commitment to environmental sustainability that also involves the hosting communities of the affected populations.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND MIGRATION FROM A GLOBAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE
Global health has emerged as a new discipline to safeguard human health with an inter and transdisciplinary approach within the context of the Anthropocene, the ongoing geological period characterized by the profound human impact on natural processes, including environmental issues.

Schütte et al. (2018) highlight the substantial evidence demonstrating how climate change can impact population health. This impact can be direct, such as heat waves or extreme weather. However, indirect impact can cause significant harm, including changes in the flows of rivers or water bodies, impacts on crop production, and increases in infectious diseases, all of which can undermine individual and societal health. These events are closely linked with migration, as in some cases, people resort to migration when their communities become uninhabitable.

Migration can also be voluntary and not exclusive to low income communities; self-determined migration and forced migration are not the only two categories, but rather represent the extremes of a broader spectrum. This phenomenon does not necessarily have negative consequences; in some cases, it can provide security to migrant populations when they arrive in places where they have access to the resources that meet their needs. However, the complex dynamics between the receiving and host communities have a significant impact on the well-being of the populations involved.

In this context it is crucial to reflect from diverse disciplines in search for solutions to the imminent problem of environmental migration. Inter and transdisciplinary cooperation is essential for developing effective solutions. Moreover, it is vital to involve migrants in the design and implementation of interventions, as they are best positioned to understand their own needs and requirements (WHO, 2023).

FROM COMPLEXITY TO SOLUTIONS FOR A GLOBAL PROBLEM
The complexity of environmental migration must be addressed comprehensively, considering the communities involved. The priority is, without a doubt, ensuring that people can continue to inhabit the places they settled in, and it is the responsibility of society and governments to provide the necessary resources for this. However, there are more dramatic cases where relocation is unavoidable, such as in the community of El Bosque. Therefore, there is no single or decisive solution to this problem; rather, it is crucial to analyze the phenomenon as a whole and the situation of populations on the move.

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