Webinar Series:
Climate Change and Action IV – Climate Change and Human Mobility
Join us for the fourth and last webinar of BCCIC’s Climate Change and Action webinar series and learn more about impacts of climate change as it relates to human mobility — specifically, when climate change’s impacts drive population displacement.s
Climate change is altering our world. Around the world, sea-level rise, water availability, and extreme weather events threaten losses of housing, livelihoods, social and cultural resources, and health. These losses may force people to move, either temporarily or permanently, to get out of harm’s way. Between 2010 and 2018, more than 23 million people per year were displaced by slow-onset events such as sea-level rise and desertification; and by sudden-onset events such as wildfires, floods, and storms. With over 65,000 people displaced in floods and wildfires in BC in 2017, and more climate change-driven disruptions forthcoming, now is the time for all organizations to plan for climate change displacement.
This webinar will focus on delivering an overview of climate change and human mobility. It is important to recognize that climate change will impact the whole spectrum of human movement patterns, from voluntary migration, to disaster displacement, all the way to conflict refugees. The presenters will draw from scientific, academic, and policy literature to contemplate a variety of intersecting challenges as they pertain to human mobility and climate change. The webinar will answer the following questions:
- What are the ways in which climate change is driving shifts in human mobility patterns?
- What are the theoretical implications of warming above 2 degrees celsius on human migration globally?
- What are emerging discussions, intentions, and responses in different contexts to the phenomenon of climate-influenced human mobility, especially in contexts of forcible displacement?
- What are emerging responses to the challenges of climate-influenced human mobility?
This webinar will serve as a one of the capstones of the BCCIC Climate Change and Action webinar series. By the end of this webinar, participants will gain a better understanding of the history of climate change and the most up-to-date scientific analysis of the emission trajectory. The participants will also gain an overview of the various climate impacts on key regions of the world.
About the Presenters
George Benson
George Benson is a resilience practitioner and thinker working on climate change, urban planning, and inclusive economic development. He is the co-founder of the Vancouver-based nonprofit, the Climate Migrants and Refugees Project, and also works with the City of Vancouver’s economic development agency on zero-carbon economic planning. He is a North American climate champion within the World Economic Forum’s young leaders network, the Global Shapers Community, and has been involved in the national leadership of the Canadian and American urban planning associations. In 2018 he was awarded the City of Vancouver’s Award of Excellence for his work on climate change.
Nicole Bates-Eamer
Nicole Bates-Eamer is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Victoria, and a Graduate Student Fellow at the Centre for Global Studies. She is also a Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) Scholar, who has just completed the project Climate Change Displacement – Mapping the BC Context. This is an exciting new partnership between PICS, the Centre for Global Studies, and the Climate Migrants and Refugees Project. Her dissertation examines policies and narratives regarding the complex intersections of climate change and human mobilities. Nicole has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis in history and chemistry, and a Master’s degree from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University.
Details
What: CLIMATE CHANGE AND ACTION – Climate Change and Human Mobility
When: Wednesday December 16, from 12:00 – 1:30 pm (Pacific Time)
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free