As part of the intensive week of the Master's Degree in Environmental Policy, Law and Management, and with the visit of an expert from the University of Arkansas, the School of Government offered a masterclass to reflect on the phenomenon of migrations due to climate change.
According to the estimates of the World BankBy 2050, some 216 million people could be affected by forced displacement within their own countries due to climate change.
To reflect on and generate a critical debate about this phenomenon, the School of Government of the Universidad Austral He organized a masterclass called “Climate Unites Us: Conference on Migration and Environmental Displacement in AmericaThe activity, which took place within the framework of the intensive week of the Master's Degree in Politics, Law and Environmental Management last Wednesday, July 23, was preceded by a few words of welcome from Alfonso Santiago, director of the School of Government.
Presented by Belén Aliciardi, academic coordinator of the Master's Degree in Environmental Policy, Law and Management, the specialists Amelia McGowan (director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Arkansas), Sebastian Putzoli (graduate of the Master's Degree in International Relations of the Universidad Austral and focal point for the Technical Cooperation of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) and Paz Gamell (Project Assistant of the International Organization for Migration -IOM-), analyzed the topic from different perspectives, including the causes, consequences and possible solutions, in order to identify the issue as key in the fight against climate change and the promotion of social justice.
McGowan Her presentation focused on the migration phenomenon of the inhabitants of the Marshall Islands, an island nation in Oceania. Ten percent of its population has moved to Springdale, a town in Arkansas, located some 10,000 kilometers from their homeland, which faces a serious threat from climate change, especially from rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
“This story speaks volumes about climate migration. This population had to build a new life in a new country. It’s a story of human beings whose homes were destroyed by the same sea that gave them life and identity for generations. They had to abandon their homes and settle hundreds of kilometers from the sea. It’s a story of tremendous resilience and a call to action,” he recounted. McGowan.
Comprising 29 atolls, 5 main islands, and a thousand smaller islands, rich in marine biodiversity, the Marshall Islands were once a site of U.S. nuclear testing. “Their culture is deeply connected to the sea, the same sea that is now destroying their homes. Sea levels are rising, and estimates predict a rise of more than one meter by 2100, which could submerge 40 percent of the capital's buildings. Furthermore, nearly 100 percent of the city is at risk from frequent flooding,” explains the professor from the University of Arkansas.
“Since 1986, Marshall Islands citizens have been able to live and work in the US without a visa, which has greatly facilitated entry, but this does not offer them significant protection against the effects of climate change. They have a precarious immigration status. The Refugee Convention does not address most of the humanitarian impacts,” he warns. Moreover, under the Trump administration, “they are at greater risk of detention or deportation.”
“There is a growing concern for those being forced to return to the islands. Where will they go back to, and what would repatriation look like if their own country were disappearing?” he asks. McGowan, introducing the human rights approach.
For its part, Putzoli -Master's degree in International Relations from Universidad Austral- with a specialization in international cooperation and a thesis linked to climate migration - stated that migration due to climate issues is "one of the most priority and urgent agendas at the global level."
“This is not an issue that can be addressed in isolation, but rather with regional cooperation and a focus on human rights, with the human being at the center of the analysis and from the perspective of global governance,” he asserted.
Putzoli spoke of the “direct relationship between climate change and migration” and explained that “the effects on people are multidimensional, as it causes damage to health, water security, and food security, especially in the most vulnerable sectors living in cities.” She warned: “Vulnerable populations are especially susceptible to the consequences of climate change. The consequences are tremendous.”
Of the 77 largest cities in Latin America, 60 are coastal and threatened by rising sea levels. “This projection shows that, by 2050, 47 million people will be living in low-lying coastal areas,” Putzoli said.
When discussing the need for public policies that address and respond to this phenomenon, Putzoli reflected that "there cannot be an absent State, nor a civil and business society that acts in isolation," since it is necessary to implement "public policies, plans, and have a political decision to go to international forums and prioritize this agenda" on the table.
At the conclusion of his presentation, he quoted Pope Francis: “The fruit of humanity is in the hands of those who see the other as an equal and themselves as part of a 'we',” and recalled that from his first trip to the island of Lampedusa – motivated by the tragedy of the shipwrecks of migrants – to the encyclical Laudato Si', the Argentine pontiff was a powerful voice in the world that warned about this phenomenon.
Finally, Paz Gamell -from the IOM- listed the types of climate mobility and cited figures indicating that the Americas recorded 13,1 million new internal displacements due to disasters in 2024, compared to 2,1 million in 2023, marking exponential growth.
“The most vulnerable populations often have fewer opportunities to adapt locally or to move away from risk, and when they do move, it is often as a last resort and in vulnerable conditions,” he warned.
In her presentation, she noted that “displacement occurs when the limits of adaptation and resilience are reached. It is a symptom of the losses and damages suffered by climate-affected communities.”
As a final reflection, the IOM representative stated that “human mobility in the context of climate change is not a future phenomenon, it is already happening” and “the losses and damages are not only material: they affect rights, relationships, and identities.”
“What capacities do we need to strengthen at the local, national, and regional levels? How do we ensure that the responses are inclusive, sustainable, and rights-based?” the specialist posed as final questions.
Finally, the closing of the activity was led by Sofía del Carril, executive director of the Master's Program in International Relations, and Belén Aliciardi, who thanked the speakers for their time and presentations as well as the students and participants who attended the masterclass.
Access to watch the full masterclass here
