Thomas Friedman discovered that climate refugees in Africa’s Sahel region are fleeing food and water scarcity rather than war or human rights violations. These refugees are becoming increasingly numerous, with approximately 16 million leaving the arid regions of Africa. This region of Africa can no longer produce food for itself; men in small settlements are desperate to work, potentially leaving their families hungry right now.
Most people migrate because they cannot survive in such temperatures. If the ground becomes dry and the air temperature rises, more water will be required to grow anything. As a result, people are forced to choose between leaving these arid regions for Europe or joining terrorist organizations. Even in democratically governed regions, such as Senegal, where people earn too little and see no prospects, scientists predict that temperatures will continue to rise.
The main challenge for people is survival, as many people make a living by growing food. However, if a person decides to become a refugee, it is not guaranteed that the place they move to will be easier, as was the case with Julie, who moved from a village where they earned and lived by farming and was working as a handbag seller at the time of the film for a couple of dollars per day (The YEARS Project, 2022, 41:06).
Politicians in Nigeria believe that the climate is changing because Western countries burn too much oil, raising temperatures, drying up water sources, and making it impossible to grow food on the land (The YEARS Project, 2022). Every year, the situation worsens, but they propose building a green wall, which is less expensive than accepting millions of refugees, but there is no funding for it.
Thomas Friedman discovered that when people in this territory have no way out, crime rises, and people join terrorist groups out of desperation. Many people are at risk of dying from hunger. He also discovered that Europe is already experiencing a wave of refugees, but if the situation in Africa deteriorates, there will be many more.
Furthermore, climate refugees receive less protection than other types of refugees. The same refugees who immigrate within Africa believe they cannot earn enough in the cities to support their families. It is said that people are leaving these regions, but some think that this will not solve the problem. It will only make the problem worse, because there will be no safe territories in the future.
Reference
The YEARS Project. (2022). Years of Living Dangerously – EPISODE 204: The Uprooted. YouTube.