Military Experts Warn Climate Change Will Lead To Refugee Crisis Of 'Epic Proportions'
- 7 years ago
Military leaders have recently spoken out about the security threat posed by climate change which they say is helping to fuel the flow of tens of millions of refugees.
Military leaders around the world are sounding the alarm about the detrimental effects that climate change will have on the refugee crisis.
A recent report by The Guardian quotes several top officials voicing their concern including Maj. Gen. Munir Muniruzzaman, a Bangladeshi with the Global Military Advisory Council, who has stated, “Climate change is the greatest security threat of the 21st century. We’re going to see refugee problems on an unimaginable scale, potentially above 30 million people.”
Brig. Gen. Stephen Cheney of the U.S. echoes this sentiment, saying, “Climate change could lead to a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. We’re already seeing migration of large numbers of people around the world because of food scarcity, water insecurity and extreme weather, and this is set to become the new normal.”
In the past, experts and observers have been raising similar concerns given the tens of millions of refugees who have fled their home countries at unprecedented numbers.
Time pointed out in a report last year that five years of extreme drought was a likely contributing factor to Syria’s civil war which eventually drove people into Europe.
Meanwhile, many Africans are said to have left their countries for similar reasons--drought-plagued farmlands and internal violence, notes Quartz.
As such, leaders have recommended that governments institute measures to fight climate change as a key way to stem the refugee crisis.
Military leaders around the world are sounding the alarm about the detrimental effects that climate change will have on the refugee crisis.
A recent report by The Guardian quotes several top officials voicing their concern including Maj. Gen. Munir Muniruzzaman, a Bangladeshi with the Global Military Advisory Council, who has stated, “Climate change is the greatest security threat of the 21st century. We’re going to see refugee problems on an unimaginable scale, potentially above 30 million people.”
Brig. Gen. Stephen Cheney of the U.S. echoes this sentiment, saying, “Climate change could lead to a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. We’re already seeing migration of large numbers of people around the world because of food scarcity, water insecurity and extreme weather, and this is set to become the new normal.”
In the past, experts and observers have been raising similar concerns given the tens of millions of refugees who have fled their home countries at unprecedented numbers.
Time pointed out in a report last year that five years of extreme drought was a likely contributing factor to Syria’s civil war which eventually drove people into Europe.
Meanwhile, many Africans are said to have left their countries for similar reasons--drought-plagued farmlands and internal violence, notes Quartz.
As such, leaders have recommended that governments institute measures to fight climate change as a key way to stem the refugee crisis.