When the Climate Crisis claims your Home

In 2019, a young team of academics, professionals, students and activists – all very much engaged in the field of environmental protection and climate change – came together to start a meaning- and impactful project on environmental migration: a topic currently disregarded by politicians and the general public alike but to certainly become highly relevant in the not-so-distant future. According to the Global Report on Internal Displacement, in 2018 61 percent, thus 17,2 million of all newly internally displaced were displaced due to sudden on-set disasters such as floods, storms, droughts or wildfires. In 2019, according to the IDMC, this figure already reached the 25 million mark. Yet, this is only the beginning of a problem that will increasingly and inevitably concern us in the future as extreme weather events caused at least in part by climate change are predicted to occur in an ever-increasing number over the next years. Therefore, the problem appears to be clear. Nevertheless, international awareness as well as reactions seem to be rare.

Thus, although migration as a result of natural disasters such as droughts, storms or floods is on the rise, it is not a very commonly discusssed topic. Thus, our work is aimed at raising awareness about and promoting exchange on the topic of climate-related migration. We want to draw attention to the difficulties and especially the legal uncertainty that affected people face, since flight because of a natural disaster is not a part of the Geneva Refugee Convention.

In our opinion, it is crucial to sensitize young people about this strong connection between the Climate Crisis and Migration - since they are the ones who will shape the future. This is why we started the "When the Climate Crisis claims your Home" Art Competition, Podcast, Blog and Performance Action. We want to offer a possibilty for young people to get creative and to bring about real change in the world.