Video - Climate Refugee Campaign

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Climate Refugee Campaign: Postcards from the Frontlines
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Climate Refugee Campaign: Postcards from the Frontlines

On September 25, 2013, the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), in collaboration with ByPost and with the support of Dame Vivienne Westwood and Gillian Anderson, launched a campaign to recognize and protect climate change refugees worldwide. EJF has been working to secure recognition and protection for climate refugees since 2009. Despite their efforts there is presently no recognition of climate refugees by any international law.

What is Environmental Migration and Who are Climate Refugees

Climate change and environmental degradation will make life unlivable for many people and this will force them to move. Whether in response to floods, droughts or extreme heat or to find water and food people all around the world will be displaced by the changing climate. These people are known as climate refugees and they are part of a new wave of environmental migration.

According to the United Nations' definition from the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951) a refugee is a person who "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country". In 1967 Protocol the definition of a refugee was expanded to include persons who had fled war or other violence. At present the United Nations does not formally provide long-term legal protection to refugees due to environmental factors and climate change.