Across the globe, more frequent droughts, floods, and wildfires are becoming the ‘new normal.’ Our Earth is changing, pushing animals to migrate and people out of their ancestral homes. As weather conditions intensify, people who have lived their entire lives in one area have begun to feel like they have no choice but to flee. They witness the land they’ve known for decades change before their eyes. Even though climate change is a global crisis, certain regions of the world are more vulnerable to our warming planet. Countries lacking resources experience more hardship during and after a storm compared to wealthier nations. Latin America is one region where many climate migrants come from, and this trend is likely to increase. Latin American migrants often go north in search of a secure place to settle, but the United States does not tend to welcome them with open arms.
Climate Change is Not an Isolated Issue
In 1989, my parents fled Colombia as narcotrafficking and an armed conflict between rebel groups and the government invoked violence. Like many others, my parents struggled to jumpstart their careers amid so much chaos. What tends to get left out of discussions regarding this time is the role of the United States government. The U.S.-funded war on drugs exacerbated violence, impacting people and the environment.
In 2005, the United States and Colombian governments partnered to create the multi-billion dollar program called ‘Plan Colombia.’ This initiative created a blueprint for the expansion of both militaries and emphasized the use of force on civilians. A prominent component of this program was aerial fumigation of illicit crops, including coca, marijuana, and more. Planes passed over rural Colombia, spraying glyphosate (or “Roundup”) along their routes, damaging entire ecosystems. The toxic chemical afflicted humans, watersheds, forests, soils, and wildlife. This destructive technique impacted everything in its path, not just the targeted crops. It also didn’t fulfill its goal. Actors in the drug trade simply moved their illicit crops elsewhere. While those crops were easily transported, families without the means to move were forced to live in a pesticide-ridden environment. Biodiversity in the area decreased, impacting food and water sources for campesinos (farmers), Indigenous peoples, and animals. In 2015, aerial fumigation paused as glyphosate was labeled a possible carcinogen. However, the practice was recently re-approved, demonstrating the commitment to violent, nature-devastating policies by the Colombian and U.S. governments.
Although foreign policies play a crucial role in the ongoing struggle for peace in Colombia, another reason for the continued conflict is the degradation of Colombia’s unique, irreplaceable biodiversity. Colombia hosts a variety of ecosystems, from high mountain peaks and two oceans to the iconic Amazon rainforest. The country’s magnificent Andean mountains are witnessing their glaciers melt, threatening water sources, food production, and power sources. Clear-cutting of the Amazon rainforest disturbs the country’s extraordinary biodiversity, creating a domino effect that is felt by the rest of the world. Sea level rise will soon impact Colombia’s coral reefs and the coastal communities that depend on them. The destruction of these ecosystems creates motives for people to migrate unless they find a way to resist.
Rural communities live in harmony with Earth’s elements and natural cycles. Over millennia, Indigenous peoples developed relationships with the soils, forests, bodies of water, and other species surrounding them. Shifting weather patterns, deforestation, and pesticide runoff threaten these relationships, but some communities have found ways to revive old traditions in an attempt to stay on the land. By decolonizing agricultural practices, rural communities are reconnecting with their ancestral wisdom. By going back to their roots, they are denying the detrimental industrial practices that the Western world introduced. In doing this, they are finding a way to heal themselves and the land they depend on. Both humans and nonhuman communities benefit when local people manage their own natural resources. The place-based relationships these communities have established hold the wisdom accumulated over multiple generations.
Now that Mother Nature is being granted the opportunity to restore herself, biodiversity is returning, bringing with it a source of life. As the impacts of climate change worsen, more communities will need to learn how to help revive local ecosystems or seek refuge in other parts of the globe.
Reimagining the Meaning of Community
As of today, U.S. immigration policies are lagging behind reality. The federal government has laws to protect people seeking asylum or refugee status, yet displacement due to climate change is not recognized as a legitimate reason to receive these protections. As a result, millions of people are deported, being sent back to the places they fled. To adequately address our global crises, the United States government needs to recognize the many lives at stake. By adopting humane policies that respect the basic rights of every individual, the U.S. can prepare for future mass migrations.
Aside from policy change, we global citizens can do our part in supporting climate refugees by remaining open-minded. As more people migrate, we will see our communities change. When my parents first moved to the U.S., they knew about four other people. Their support system slowly began to grow as coworkers reached out to offer advice and resources. We can all share what we have with those around us. Together we are stronger, and only together will we be able to face future storms.
The next drought or flood can occur anywhere. Any one of us can become a climate refugee at a moment's notice, but there are ways to prepare for this. When we stand in solidarity, we build resilient communities. We can take action by caring for those around us, regardless of where they come from. The evidence is clear: we cannot rely on authorities to create change. It is up to us to be there for one another. Together, we can prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.
