Climate Change & Environmental Refugees

Question 1

Due to the increased risk of coastal flooding around the world climate change may create environmental refugees in coastal areas

An environmental refugee is a person forced to move by environmental changes - in this case coastal flooding

A study in 2011 suggested that …………….million people could be displaced by sea level rise by 2100

Answer 1

187m

Question 2

Low-lying island nations such as ……………… are paticular vulnerable

Answer 2

Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and the Maldives

Question 3

In Papua New Guinea and the Maldives between …………% of the land is less than 1m above sea level

Answer 3

50-80%

Question 4

The issues they face include

Answer 4

Loss of land and a lack of money for coastal defences

Coral reef bleaching which reduces the natural defences against storm surges

Salt water incursion which reduces the freshwater supply

Loss of tourism

Question 5

In the UK in 2014, residents of the village of Fairbourne in Wales were informed by the local council that flood defences would not be maintained indefinitely

Question 6

In Bangladesh alone it is estimated that loss of land due to sea level rise and increased coastal erosion could lead to ………….million environmental refugees

Answer 6

20m