Climate Change Displacement Is Not Just Another Issue at Our Border
- Marina Lazetic
- Nov 11, 2021
- 3 min read
Climate related migration and displacement occur in fragile states and in developed democracies. However, the US government continues to frame its policies as if climate related migration is an external issue and a matter of national security and border protection exclusively. There is very little coordinated effort and support provided through the current federal efforts to assist at-risk communities and those already displaced by climate change within the US borders. What this means is that climate related migration is likely to increase inequalities by displacing the most vulnerable communities and pushing them deeper into poverty, unless government policies drastically change.
The federal government’s response to climate-related displacement within the US usually comes after rapid onset events such as storms, large floods, and wildfires. The federal agencies involved in mitigating risks and consequences are: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Most federal programs are based on the 1988 Stafford Act[1] which guides action in the form of short-term assistance. This response is short term, and agencies involved in providing assistance rarely refer to those who are displaced as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Federal disaster agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) use the terms “disaster victims,” “survivors,” or “evacuees,” demonstrating the lack of attention given to the issue of internal displacement in the United States and the short-term assistance it offers.
The result is that when climate-related displacement occurs the federal response tends to be disorganized and adds burdens on the displaced as well as their host communities. For example, the Californian Camp Fire in 2018, killed over 80 people and destroyed some 14,000 residences, and some 16,000 people had to move to nearby towns.[2] The town of Chico, (pop. ~100,000), received 19,000 new people almost overnight.[3] There was little federal or state support for the city and the strain on city services led to animosity towards the “newcomers.” For example, even before the fire happened, the Butte County, where both Chico and Paradise are located, had declared a housing “state of emergency.”[4] Now, according to a survey by the Butte Countywide Homeless Continuum of Care, about a quarter of unsheltered residents of Chico lost their homes in the 2018 Camp Fire.[5] The situation we witnessed in Chico is the future we face as the most vulnerable are left to deal with climate-related disasters and displacement on their own.
FEMA is the main source of post-disaster funding, but its coverage varies across socioeconomic statuses and geographies.[6] FEMA’s programs focus primarily on recovery and reconstruction of property, which favors homeowners and wealthier individuals.[7] The aid is allocated based on cost-benefit calculation designed to minimize taxpayer risk. When property values are higher, FEMA’s payments for damages are higher, making it easier for wealthier neighborhoods to rebuild. Therefore, the funds are not given to those who need them the most, but rather to those whose property is worth more.
As a result of the lack of attention given to internal climate change displacement, at-risk communities are being pushed into permanent displacement and homelessness - and deeper into poverty. Much of this could be prevented if the US government invested in preparedness and did more to protect at-risk communities. Emergency response alone is not enough. One important way to reduce long term risks of both climate-related displacement and the potential for ensuing political and economic stability is to enhance climate resilience. This means acting to reduce future damage and losses by planning and preparing for the hazards presented by both slow and rapid onset events. One place to start is to ensure that those in low-income housing are better protected – both before they become displaced and afterward.
[1] Stafford Act. FEMA.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://www.fema.gov/disaster/stafford-act.
[2] Bureau, U. S. C. (2021, October 8). Camp Fire - 2018 California wildfires. Census.gov. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://www.census.gov/topics/preparedness/events/wildfires/camp.html.
[3] Siegler, K. (2019, January 14). In the aftermath of the Camp Fire, a slow, simmering crisis in nearby Chico. NPR. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://www.npr.org/2019/01/14/685137701/in-the-aftermath-of-the-camp-fire-a-slow-simmering-crisis-in-nearby-chico.
[4] Levine, A. S. (2018, December 3). After a California wildfire, new and old homeless populations collide. The New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/03/us/california-fire-homeless.html.
[5] Butte countywide homeless continuum of Care Council. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2021, from http://www.buttehomelesscoc.com/uploads/1/1/7/5/117500423/coc_meeting_minutes_200210.pdf.
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