Climate crisis could displace 1.2 billion people by 2050: report

NEW DELHI: The global climate crisis could cause the displacement of more than 1 billion people from their homes over the next 30 years, as ecological disasters fuel mass migration and increased armed conflict, a new report revealed.

According to the report, The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), 19 countries facing the highest number of threats, including food and water shortages and increased exposure to natural disasters, are also among the 40 least peaceful countries in the world. , which includes Syria. , Iraq, Chad, India and Pakistan.

The Registry of Ecological Threats analyzes the risk derived from population growth, water stress, food insecurity, droughts, floods, cyclones, rising temperatures and sea level.

Over the next 30 years, the report found that 141 countries are exposed to at least one ecological threat by 2050.

The report revealed that the country with the highest number of people at risk of mass displacement is Pakistan, followed by Ethiopia and Iran.

In these countries, even small ecological hazards and natural disasters could lead to massive population displacement, affecting regional and global security.

“Ecological threats and climate change pose serious challenges to global peace. Over the next 30 years, the lack of access to food and water will only increase without urgent global cooperation,” said Steve Killelea, founder and CEO of the Institute for the Economy and Peace. in a sentence.

“In the absence of action, civil unrest, unrest and conflict will likely increase. Covid-19 is already exposing gaps in the global food chain,” Killelea added.

Today 2.6 billion people experience high or extreme water stress; By 2040, this will increase to 5.4 billion people, according to the report.

Some of the worst affected countries by 2040 will be Lebanon, Singapore, Israel, and Iraq, while China and India will likely be affected as well.

According to the IEP, aid can be used as a mechanism to build resilience to ecological shocks such as droughts, water stress and food insecurity in developing countries.

So far, India received the largest amount of climate-related aid in 2018, amounting to 6.5 billion dollars. Although these increases are substantial, they fall far short of what is needed to address these issues going forward, according to the report.