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Climate-Induced Displacement and the Developing Law

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Climate Action

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ((ENUNSDG))

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Definition

The relocation within the homeland’s border or across its borders, as a response to climate change effects, including rising sea levels and increased frequency of extreme weather phenomena attributed to climate change, in pursuit of a safer natural environment. The responses to climate-induced displacement are currently inadequate due to the inability of international law to protect climate refugees.

Climate Change as an Accelerant of Human Movement

According to the Department of Economic and Social Affairs – United Nations Secretariat: “Climate change consequences, in particular rising sea levels, increased intensity of storms, drought and desertification, environmental degradation, and natural disasters displace or will displace people, temporarily or – in many circumstances – permanently” (Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2017). Displacement triggered by climate changes is not a modern phenomenon and is not limited to the current “climate change” era. The earth...

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Correspondence to Irene Antonopoulos .

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Antonopoulos, I. (2020). Climate-Induced Displacement and the Developing Law. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A.M., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P.G., Wall, T. (eds) Climate Action. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95885-9_48

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