If you want to understand the migration crisis the US is facing, you need to understand the role of climate change in Latin America
March 26, 2023
By Francesco Infurna
Staff Writer
Climate change has been an issue that has been ignored for too long. Fossil fuels, possibly the biggest contributors to climate change, have caused the Earth’s temperature to increase at an exponential rate. According to Climate.gov, the global temperature has increased at an average of 0.08 degrees Celsius per decade since 1880. While this may not seem like a lot, it can cause devastating effects.
According to the news publication The Economist, if the world’s global temperature were to rise 3 degrees Celsius, people worldwide would experience severe droughts, heat storms and rising sea levels. Many people would end up losing their homes, jobs and communities, which would require them to build a life elsewhere.
The World Bank estimates that by 2050, climate-related incidents could force over 17 million people in Latin American countries to migrate, often to urban areas.
As addressed in an article by the nonprofit organization WWF, climate issues are already evident in places like Latin America. Between 2000-2013, 613 extreme climate and hydro-meteorological events occurred in Latin America, drastically affecting the lives of those living in the region and causing them to migrate. Latin America has also had massive droughts, as seen in Brazil, where the city of São Paulo experienced extreme drought in 2015, which was a direct result of climate change.
Latin America also faces issues with deforestation, especially in places like the Amazon Rainforest, where deforestation hit its all-time high in 2022. Deforestation completely destroys environments, can change precipitation patterns and can threaten the lives of people who live there.
The World Bank estimates that by 2050, climate-related incidents could force over 17 million people in Latin American countries to migrate, often to urban areas. An increase in population in urban areas could lead to resources becoming harder to attain and increase pressure on basic services.
This information can give people in the United States a better understanding of the migration crisis. As environments and climates worsen in Latin America, climate refugees will continue moving north in hopes of finding better conditions.
Many migrants, however, find it extremely difficult to enter the United States due to there being a limited number of visas granted. This causes people to attempt to enter the United States in illegal ways.
Even within the United States, climate migration will likely become an issue due to its effects on wage rates and housing prices. As environments start to deteriorate, people in the South will start to migrate toward California, the Mountain West and the Northwest.
Unfortunately, these areas are already starting to experience their own climate issues. For instance, states like California are expected to have more frequent mega-fires like the ones that have already impacted the Southwest. Moreover, climate change is predicted to bring wildfires that are twice as destructive as the average in the next 30 years.
To counteract this, the United States and other countries around the world must act fast. The world has mistakenly made itself too dependent on technology run on fossil fuels that are causing climate change and destroying the environment.
