First Street has released a new report about climate migration explaining this complex issue. Over 3.2 Million Americans Have Left High Flood Risk Neighborhoods Creating “Climate Abandonment Areas.” You can download the report here: https://report.firststreet.org/
I’ve been concerned about how climate migration patterns might affect the Midwest for a long time. This graphic shows my simplistic view of millions fleeing coastal flooding and moving to the Midwest, where I live. I believe we need to consider these changes as we try to plan for our future. Think about what we can do to help climate refugees coming to us.
Research using artificial intelligence identified the following considerations.
- Climate Action: Urgent global and national climate action is needed to mitigate the effects of climate change 1.
- Infrastructure Development: Cities need to prepare for an influx of migrants by developing physical infrastructure such as affordable housing and transport routes 2.
- Social Services Expansion: Cities will need to expand healthcare, education services, and create new jobs to accommodate the increasing population 2.
- Community Engagement: Solutions should be implemented in partnership with local communities rather than being imposed on them 3.
- Recognition and Support: Recognizing climate migrants and focusing on larger processes that facilitate resilience—like access to education, housing, jobs, and healthcare—is crucial 4.
- Cultural Sensitivity: Cities will also have to address increased cultural diversity and potential tensions between new settlers and the local population 2.
- Climate Havens: Some cities with certain geographical pre-conditions can become ‘climate havens’ for climate refugees. These cities have access to fresh water, are sufficiently far away from the seaside, have an adequate height above sea level, and currently have a colder climate 2.
At the border
I thought the main reason for people fleeing Central America and coming to the U.S. southern border was because of the violence and social breakdown in those countries. But environmental devastation will be an increasingly important driver of migration.
It was interesting that the AI generated graphic above included the path of migration from Central America to our southern border. In generating the graphic I asked for a representation of migration from the East and West coasts, but didn’t mention including migration from Central America.
In the face of a mounting humanitarian crisis at the U.S./Mexico border, the Biden administration has acknowledged climate change among the powerful forces pushing migrants from Central America. A $4 billion federal commitment to address the root causes of irregular migration acknowledges the need for adaptation efforts to help alleviate the situation.
The challenge is not limited to the border. Last year, weather-related disasters around the world uprooted 30 million people – more than the population of the 14 largest U.S. cities combined – and wildfires displaced more than a million Americans, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.
How does climate change affect migration? by Rob Jordan, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, June 2, 2021
Polycrisis Center 
You provide quite a bit of carefully selected information from many corners to get at the “polycrisis,” but have you considered how futile each “solution” or presented amelioration has been, and is going to be, given the enormity of the human predicament, the totalitarian level of control by the transnational corporate supersystem, and the inherent violence of ultra social humanity?
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Yes, you make good points and I have thought about that a lot. I’ve been encouraged from my experiences in a mutual aid community where the emphasis is on working locally to meet survival needs. Where we don’t put any energy into trying to change failing systems. I’m not sure how that will scale. Perhaps that will expand as existing systems continue to fail more significantly or completely. Or we might see more tribalism and conflict instead.
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