Every year, climate disasters force millions of people to leave their homes. In the aftermath of floods, fires, and droughts, they face the challenge of finding a new place to rebuild their lives. They’re part of a growing population of people on the move without specific legal protections, commonly referred to as climate migrants. Most move within their country, while others seek refuge across borders.
The hotter the planet grows, the higher the number of climate migrants is expected to climb. At the low end, predictions point to at least 44 million people displaced internally across the globe by 2050. That kind of planetary churn is the equivalent of rehoming the entire population of Argentina. Very few places are planning for this possibility.
Last fall, when Governor JB Pritzker signed the Climate Displacement Act, Illinois became the only state in the country trying to anticipate the ways in which climate-driven migration could transform life for its existing residents and those who may come. The ... Read more
