Ivo Hummelink- Last sunday the 22nd of November I watched a documentary on the Dutch television (Nieuwsuur, 2015) about the impact of climate change on Bangladesh. The documentary was filmed at the coastal area of Bangladesh which is heavily affected by the rising water and the changes in local climate. These changes for instance resulted in cyclones occurring three times more then regularly. The local and national government responsible for preventing and coping with these climate excesses are desperately calling for measures to be taken by the global leaders to mitigate the exhaust of greenhouse gasses and to help protect this vulnerable country.
In my opinion, these measures should not only be taken by the global community from the deontological standpoint of humanity and solidarity with areas like Bangladesh but also from the utilitarian standpoint of the well-being of the total world population..
The documentary makers stressed that the long time affect of climate change on the global population also includes a large increase of climate refugees to more developed (and better protected) countries. In that sense the current refugee-stream toward Europe from people coming from non-warzone area’s like the northern African region, can also be seen as climate-related. These people flee from dry and arid area’s like the Upper-Sahara region, cross the Mediterranean Sea looking for a better life in Europe, because all economical prosperity in their own region is lost due to the effects of climate change.
Estimations of worldwide climate-related refugees in 2020 are up to 300 million and these numbers will increase if nothing will happen to turn-around the impact of our lifestyles on the global climate. If you for instance project these figures to the current European refugee-crisis which ‘only’ involves 400.000 refugees in 2015 (Vluchtelingenwerk.nl, 2015), you see that also the consequences of climate change to the developed countries are immense.
Hopefully the policymakers that contribute to the Climate Conference in Paris next week, are willing and able to make significate steps and create a lever to really alter the course of events. Not only for the benefit on humanity but also for their own interests.
If you have a minute and want to look the documentary (Dutch only) check http://nos.nl/video/2070789-bangladesh-ground-zero-van-de-klimaatverandering.html
Reference
Nieuwsuur. (2015, Nov 22). Opgehaald van http://www.npo.nl/nieuwsuur/22-11-2015/VPWON_1241467