Hernandez, Bianco & Garcia, ‘Refugees without Recognition: Climate Change and Ecological and Gender Inequality’, 2024

Brianna Hernandez, Christine Bianco and Zenel Garcia, ‘Refugees without Recognition: Climate Change and Ecological and Gender Inequality’, EJIL:Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law, 15 August 2024.

Abstract

Despite recognizing that “climate change is the defining crisis of our time,” the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) has not endorsed the concept of “climate refugees.” This lack of recognition, which extends to other international legal bodies as well as national governments, compounds the vulnerability of those displaced by climate change. In particular, it exacerbates ecological and gendered asymmetries that disproportionally affect already marginalized peoples. In essence, the current international legal regime undermines the recognition of climate refugees. Furthermore, its ecological and gender-blindness render it ill-equipped to mitigate the growing harm to marginalized communities. Collectively, these reproduce structures of inequity and violence.