Environmental Refugees Program

The Climate Institute published the first-ever rigorous assessment of the plight of a growing number of people displaced as a result of environmental problems such as drought, soil erosion, desertification and deforestation. The fast-growing numbers of people who can no longer gain a secure livelihood in their homelands because of these problems are of great concern within regions and also within the international community as a whole.

With Norman Myers as Principal Investigator and assisted by Jennifer Kent, this study, Environmental Exodus: An Emergent Crisis in the Global Arena, has drawn very favorable comment following its initial publication in July 1995.

Following are some reviews of this publication:

"While political instability and ethnic conflict largely account for much of the refugee movement that attract headlines in the press, there is far less publicity on population movements caused by environmental disruption, including ecological disasters such as global warming, deforestation, land degradation, soil erosion and desertification. Only recently has the term "environmental refugees" joined "political refugees" in the humanitarian lexicon … Dr Norman Myers' excellent report provides us a realistic basis for discussion." - Dr. Nafis Sadik, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund

This report takes a hard look at the developing environmental crises that are causing great shifts in population in the world. As soil erosion, loss of land, water shortages and pollution escalate, the plight of vast numbers of humans are becoming more desperate to survive. Indeed these are becoming refugees and join others who hope to provide the basic needs for their families. - Dr. David Pimentel, Cornell University

View a copy of the Executive Summary