Impacts of Climate Change and Climate-Induced Migration on mobility and sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Image Courtesy of The New Times- Rwanda

By Tafadzwa Makara

The connection for both climate change and migration has drawn both academic and public attention recently. Many experiments have shown that ecological hazards impact migration.

However, the ties are complex and rely on the economic and socio-political circumstances in the specific countries of origin.

The Global Internal Displacement Database (IDD) indicates that regions like Ethiopia are witnessing the most significant migrations on the continent coupled with extreme weather events such as severe floods, which is a consequence of climate change (“Global Internal Displacement Database”).

Shifting climate conditions and environmental threats are significant factors of migration in sub-Saharan Africa. Any of the risks are slow to make.

These include temperature increases, desertification, lack of habitat, soil degradation,
and forest depletion.

The rising occurrence and severity of weather disasters, such as flooding and droughts, have contributed to significant migrations in recent years. This paper analyses the impacts of climate change on migration in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Climate-induced migration is among leading global challenges confronting humanity today with the most effects mainly felt in low-income countries in Africa.

Climate-induced migration can be defined as people’s movement motivated by sudden weather events, climate, sea-level rise, resource scarcity, and drought. This kind of mobility can be temporary, permanent, seasonal, voluntary or forced migration.

Due to these extreme environmental risks, people are forced to relocate to a viable location where their livelihood is secured.

World Bank estimates that the consequences of climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa could displace more than 86 million people. Climate change will cause one of the enormous numbers of refugees dilemma on the continent and beyond.

Climate might be one of the leading causes of rural to urban migration and cross border migration when rains fail to come; the adaptive response will be to migrate.

In Zimbabwe, the main problem propping climate-driven migration drought is low and unreliable rainfall patterns in recent years.

Climate-induced migration is responsible for rural-urban migration leading to
far-reaching repercussions on the place of origin, the destination, the migrant, and society.

The goal of migration experiences pressures on urban infrastructure. The urban facilities are pressurised to provide efficient services delivery such as water, electricity, and housing.

The emergence and growth of informal settlements across urban areas result from desperate moving to cities searching for a better life.

Climate change implications trigger unplanned and sudden mobility, leading to people’s concentration in areas perceived as safe and viable, mainly urban areas.

Rural-urban migration contributes to the rising in urban population that is characterised by a gradual increase in social issues and impacts service delivery negatively, Harare is a classic example of such a scenario.

According to Nelson & Veronica (2020), climate-driven migration is responsible for rural-urban migration leading to far-reaching repercussions on the place of origin, the destination, the migrant, and the society.

Botswana and Namibia both know the problems of drought and flooding. A few years earlier, Gaborone, Botswana’s capital, was on the brink of “water shortage” as the country had fought the longest drought for three decades.

Neighbouring Namibia has been struggling with recurrent and devastating water shortages and floods in recent times, especially in the north of the country, where many people live.

Due to the increased frequency and severity of these severe weather events, the affected people are forced to move from one region to another, often to avoid drought-ridden or flooded areas (in the short term) or to seek water, pastures, arable land, to boost their livelihoods and their existence (ibid).

Erratic reductions in habitats resulting from climate change pose a significant danger to human quality of life.

Sudden destruction to local habitats will adversely impact their capacity to acquire money and sustain themselves, eventually forcing them into poverty.

It could also lessen the long-term potential of tropical rainforests to store up carbon if birds and mammals essential for scattering seeds are affected.

In Africa, significant sections of Congo’s forests are expected to be at risk by 2050 under a high pollution scenario (Hassan, O. M., & Tularam, G.A., 2018).

The civil wars and multinational companies’ presence have resulted in deforestation of huge forest land, impacting the community’s livelihoods and biodiversity.

This has contributed to most Congolese exodus to other nations in the region with Angola and Zambia being the most extensive receipts of Congolese refugees.

Climate changes can aggravate desertification by altering temperature, precipitation, solar radiation and wind patterns of space and time.

Agricultural development in many African countries is predicted to be significantly impacted by climate fluctuations and change.

The region suitable for farming, the duration of growing seasons and the production capacity, especially along the boundaries of semi-arid and arid areas, are projected to decline.

Decreased agricultural productivity would contribute to relocation to other arable lands. For instance, in Zimbabwe, regional migration to neighbouring countries in the region, mainly South Africa and Botswana, results from desperate citizens.

Like many other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Zimbabwe is an agro-based economy where most people in rural areas largely depend on rain-fed agriculture which is disrupted by climate change, placing people on edge.

In South-Eastern Lowveld regions of Zimbabwe, there are families not migrating per se, but renting agricultural land in neighbouring Mozambique and have homes in Zimbabwe; others manage two households on either side of the border. The Mozambique side extensively for cultivation and food production, due to dryness.

This calls for the government’s urgent intervention to initiate innovative agriculture that copes with the changing climate to reduce shocks, stress, and vulnerability.

There would be some conflicts over access, control and ownership of scarce resources in the areas being occupied by the migrants. There would be some conflicts in the areas being occupied by the migrants, different cultures,
competition over access, ownership and control of scarcity resources.

Climate change adaptation, climate resilience, and response strategies will ensure sustainable food security, reduce poverty, and enable peace and development. It is also plausible to reflect on the implications of such kind of migration on gender dynamics.

In a country where gender relations are still a question, climate change will likely deepen the existing inequalities. As a result, marginalised groups such as women, children, aged, disabled, youth, unemployed, and the poor face the blunt effects of migration.

Therefore, vulnerable groups are heavily affected by climate-driven migration, therefore there is need for a sustainable policy intervention to build community resilience to absorb these stresses and shocks.

Nelson & Veronica (2020) note that migration has adverse impacts on family and gender issues. Zimbabwe is an example of a patriarchal society.

As a result, marginalised groups such as women, children, aged, disabled, youth, unemployed, and the poor face the blunt effects of migration.

The men and wealthy persons in society migrate as they have property rights and possess diversified livelihood sources. Therefore, vulnerable groups are heavily affected by the impacts of climate-driven migration.

Climate change forces millions to flee their homes, yet African governments are not adequately equipped financially to counter this challenge self-sufficiently.

Investing in long-term planning in humanitarian financing systems at local, regional, and global levels need to be proactive, rather than reactive.

The recent cyclones like Chalene, idai and Dineo should serve as lessons that encourage government and humanitarian organisations to invest in setting up effective financing mechanisms and human development to ensure community resilience.

There is no need to wait for disasters to occurs; hence proactive planning will help. The state of infrastructure in many Africans countries is still colonial infrastructure which is susceptible to climatic disasters like flooding.

Government partnership with the humanitarian and private sectors will help build climate change adaptation programmes that strengthen community capacity building and resilience.

Climate refugees are anticipated to surpass all known migration numbers in human history, presenting an enormous challenge for human development and sustainable development.

Technological and social innovation will be vital in coping with stress and shocks presented by climate migration.

If left unchecked, this emerging type of migration might disrupt United Nations’ quest to attain sustainability by 2030; there is a need for progressive and transformative policy intervention to curb this challenge.

I am firmly convinced that there is currently silent genocide that humanity
and biodiversity are undergoing due to this phenomenon.

In conclusion, Africa is the least (4%) contributor to global greenhouse carbon dioxide, yet its consequences are the hardest.

For this argument, the Groundswell World Bank reports predict that close to 86 million people will be driven to move to their own countries by 2050
to avoid the slow-moving consequences of climate change in Africa.

A substantial proportion of these refugees would migrate to cities. If designed and well handled, urban development can offer both immigrants and destinations social and economic opportunities.

Infrastructural growth and equal and fair economic policies would be significant. It is necessary to consider why people move and where, under what circumstances and what they do for proper planning.

Governments could perhaps underline the desperately needed management of climate change together with climate policy makers. Quickly lowering greenhouse gas pollution this decade would help deter countless animal loss and preserve human lives.

Attempts to support communities in high-risk areas adapt their livelihoods can also be strengthened, as climate change affects local habitats.

Climate Change remains one of the defining challenges of the 21st century, which will affect humanity, and earth’s resources, thus urgent interventions and global
collaborations are needed to reverse this global pandemic.

The United Nation’s 2030 global agenda for a prosperous and equal world remains an elusive dream if climate change is not given much-needed attention. Compliance with the Paris Agreement is vital to reduce global emissions.

There is a need for a transformative and inclusive policy that helps global south
countries transition. Climate-driven migration in Africa is mainly due to low and unreliable rainfall. The migration has adverse impacts on the migrants, place of origin, and destination.

Policy makers should therefore formulate amicable policy interventions to facilitate
sustainable development in Zimbabwe.

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