When Climate Change Comes to Refugee Settings

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CHAPTERS 

[00:02:00]: Kakuma Camp: flooding and environmental risks for displaced populations  

[00:03:06]: Legal frameworks: limits of refugee protection in climate contexts 

[00:06:27]: Multiple drivers of displacement: climate, conflict, and instability 

[00:08:16]: Environmental risks within refugee-hosting areas 

[00:11:10]: Adaptation in practice: energy access, agriculture, and livelihoods 

[00:13:10]: NGO Climate Compact: coordination across the humanitarian sector 

[00:14:39]: Faith-based perspectives on climate and displacement 

[00:17:05]: Policy considerations: coordination, protection, and future responses 
 

TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:02.18]

Welcome back to Changing Climate, Changing Migration. My name is Julian Hattem, and every episode of this podcast features a discussion with a different expert on how climate change impacts migration. This podcast is a project of the Migration Policy Institute and grows out of a special series of articles in our journal, the Migration Information Source, of which I am the editor. You can find those articles online at migrationpolicy.org/climate. Today, I'm speaking with Joan Rosenhauer. Joan is the executive director of Jesuit Refugee Service USA, which is a humanitarian assistance organization that operates in refugee camps, crises, and other situations around the world. The US Chapter also raises awareness and advocates in Washington on behalf of refugees. Joan, thank you so much for coming on.

[00:00:55.03] 

Thank you for having me.

[00:00:57.01] 

So let's start rather general. Why don't you tell us a little bit more about what JRS does and what climate change means for you and for your work.

[00:01:06.00] 

Sure. Thank you. Well, to begin with, the mission of Jesuit Refugee Service is to accompany, serve, and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced people so that they may heal, learn, and determine their own futures. So practically, that means that we're providing services to refugees in 57 countries around the world and programs like education and job training, mental health and psychosocial support, peace building and reconciliation, providing humanitarian relief in emergencies, and many other services. At one point, we had calculated that in one way or another, JRS had served one in every 100 refugees in the world. So what climate change means for JRS is that there are more people displaced around the world, and those who are displaced are struggling to deal with the impacts of changing weather patterns on top of the challenges they already face as they try to rebuild their lives. And just one example to kind of get us started, to make it real, and not just in theory, we work in a refugee camp called Kakuma in Kenya, and we provide counseling and trauma care and other programs. But sadly, extreme flooding has become the norm in this part of Kenya.

[00:02:17.03] 

So for people who have already fled violence and persecution in Sudan and have come to Kenya seeking safety, this extreme weather keeps them at risk of losing what little they have. In October, a nearby river flooded, and the homes and goods that refugees in Kakuma had managed to pull together were swept away. And the cost of replacing homes and goods lost to flooding when people are vulnerable to begin with is a huge setback. And it often has multiple effects, including keeping children out of school, which also sets them back significantly.

[00:02:51.23] 

That's a great example. Thank you for sharing that, I guess. How long would you say that climate change has been something that's on your radar as an issue of concern? And would you say that your approach is similar to a lot of other peer humanitarian protection organizations? Would you just say, is this an issue that a lot of organizations are grappling with? Surely you're not alone here.

[00:03:10.14] 

Right? Sure. Yeah. I mean, it's kind of hard to pin down a timeline, but I think we've certainly been dealing with the impacts of climate change for a very long time as we've supported displaced populations who've been forced to flee or move because of an environmental disaster of some kind or other environmental conditions. A focal point for us came in 2015 when Pope Francis recognized climate and other environmental refugees in his teaching document called Laudato si'. He not only identified the tragic rise in the number of migrants seeking to flee from the growing poverty caused by environmental degradation, but he also highlighted that they are not recognized by international conventions as refugees. So they bear the loss of the lives they left behind, but they don't enjoy the legal protections of others. Just on your point about other organizations, there are many organizations addressing the crisis of people being displaced due to changing weather patterns. And we do, you know, work with them around the world. You know, there are many different needs. Different organizations respond to different elements of the needs. One of the things that JRS focuses on is kind of the long term rebuilding for people through education of their children and through livelihood training.

[00:04:26.14] 

So we do do emergency response in some cases, but we especially try to help people, you know, look to the future. And always refugees want to look to the future of their children and make sure their children get a good education.

[00:04:38.07] 

You mentioned a point that is a very important one in which I have mentioned before in this podcast as anyone I feel like operating this in this space needs to make, which is that people displaced by the results of climate change or climate impacts are not refugees, quote, unquote, in the formal legal sense of the word, I guess. What does that, does that have any impact on the kind of work that you do? And would it have any impact if there were some sort of legal international climate refugees, quote, unquote category?

[00:05:04.10] 

Well, it certainly has an impact in the sense that it contributes to the fact that when we talk about refugees, when we talk about forcibly displaced people who have crossed a border, typically the average person thinks about someone who might be resettled in a few years or go back home in a few years and actually displacement, as I'm sure you know, has become a long term phenomenon. 20 years, often IDPs. It's more near 10 years, but still a very long time. And for people who have no legal recognition under any of the refugee conventions, that's an even greater problem. So it is a significant challenge that the, you know, kind of systems that were set up after World War II were envisioning violence and persecution that people would be fleeing. They were not envisioning weather pattern changes and extreme climate events that people would be fleeing. So it definitely creates a challenge because we have to think, think about how to help people rebuild their lives without the expectation that they will necessarily be resettled very quickly or be able to return home very quickly.

[00:06:09.05] 

Are there ways in which some sort of legal process like that would be beneficial? Or is it the case that there are so many drivers that like trying to isolate individual drivers and using that as the basis for protection is kind of distracting from the ultimate goal, which is protection of vulnerable people, why ever they might need it?

[00:06:27.10] 

Well, I think that it definitely would be helpful to have the impact of climate change and severe climate events or weather related events factored in when countries are considering whether to grant refugee status to people. And we were very pleased that the administration issued a report that included a recommendation that the United States take the steps. So that's very important. But I think you also raised a really important point, which is that we don't want to oversimplify how we understand the role of climate change and displacement, because in most situations people are fleeing their homes based on a very complex set of circumstances. And climate is often one of the factors, and it's often something that contributes to other factors developing. But it's not as simple as saying either that number one, clearly identify this weather related event is definitely caused by climate change. And it is that climate change that then has, in many cases it's one of the factors, but it's not the only factor. And often weather pattern changes, severe climate events, they create the kind of instability in people's lives, the kind of stressors, the kinds of tensions that lead to further violence and conflict.

[00:07:46.22] 

And people often point to Syria where there was a drought for five years before the war. And that has often been identified as one of the contributing factors. So it's a complex interaction of various factors that causes people to flee their homes. And you know, we can imagine it's a, it's a terrible choice to have to make. So we don't want to oversimplify it.

[00:08:06.00] 

And it seemed like you started off by talking the example of the refugee camp that was beset, but by some environmental conditions. So it seems as if it's not just environmental factors that can displace people or contribute to people being displaced, but also after being displaced, i.e. in refugee camps, in IDP camps, etc. There can be other ongoing environmental factors. Right. So even if the reason for your displacement has nothing to do with the climate, after being displaced, there can be a climate impact. How do you deal with that? And I guess how do you reckon with climate change and environmental factors as both, I guess a driver, but also a complicating factor in ongoing humanitarian protection efforts, if that distinction makes sense. Or maybe the distinction, it's all melded together and no distinction can be drawn there.

[00:08:50.24] 

No, I think you've raised some really important points because, you know, we can start by identifying that there are places where a climate or weather related event is a very direct driver of displacement. When there is a severe storm and people's homes are just destroyed and they have to flee for protection somewhere. There are also, those are kind of the sudden onset events. Then there are also the slow onset events, which can still be very direct drivers. You know, there are, there are islands in the Pacific that are disappearing and if your island is disappearing, you must flee. That is a very direct driver of displace. But at the same time, as we've said, some of these more slow onset climate events can be contributing factors. So they're not not necessarily a sole direct driver of displacement, but they're a contributing factor toward displacement and they may trigger other situations that cause displacement, as we said, as conflict and, and violence and things. And then finally we do have the situation that you just, just described, which is that even after people have fled their homes and sought safety somewhere else, then they may be affected by climate change and they often go to some of the more environmentally vulnerable areas because those are available.

[00:09:58.08] 

You know, other people are not moving into those places that flood or you know, that, that are subject to droughts and things like that. But I think so, I think it certainly affects the work that we do because, you know, we have a number of examples of dealing with situations where climate is a direct contributor to the, to the displacement of people and then also where they've been affected and we're trying to them adapt later. And one of the examples of that, where we're kind of helping to, with the adaptation and really looking at how the programs we offer for refugees are playing a role in or being a response to climate change would be in Lebanon, which, you know, as you know, hosts an enormous number of refugees from Syria and Iraq and other areas. But they're also facing a lot of energy insecurity, destabilized government, ongoing civil strife, and. And in early October, the entire country suffered rolling blackouts due to a fuel shortage. Well, all of the refugees are the most vulnerable to the effects of those rolling blackouts. And their children are the ones who are the, you know, most likely to not be able to study and they're not able to carry out their livelihoods because they don't have access to consistent electricity.

[00:11:09.23] 

So we are in the process of developing a program to install solar panels in all of the schools that we run and the other programs that we run so that those refugees will have access, they won't be the most vulnerable when it comes to those kinds of situations, and they will have access to ongoing electricity. But another example that we are working on and many other groups are working on is helping farmers adapt droughts to higher temperatures that are impacting their ability to raise their crops. In Nigeria, for example, JRS Nigeria has been seeing extreme shifts in weather patterns in northeastern Nigeria. And so the farmers there, including the refugee farmers, who are just trying to rebuild and struggle to eke out a living, they have to adapt. And we're trying to help them adapt, giving them the kinds of seeds and educating them about techniques and things that will allow them to grow crops in kind of climate challenged areas.

[00:12:02.03] 

That's really interesting and that's a very important point because I think it's worth noting, as I'm sure you of course know, the overwhelming vast majority of refugees are not resettled to third countries. They either stay where they are or they return to their country of origin originally. And so preparing people displaced by climate, living in a place that continues to be affected by climate events, slow onset drought and stuff, that that's crucial work. That's really interesting and that's a very interesting point. I guess kind of goes back to the timing issue. It's hard to think in terms of specific stages, but I wonder if this kind of climate awareness and environmental awareness has been something that's been growing in momentum among JRs and some of your partner organizations. I note, for instance, that JRS is one of the dozens, I think, of groups that signed to the NGO Climate Compact back in 2020 alongside groups like Save the Children, UNICEF, USA Refugees International. What is that compact? What does it signify that so many organizations come together to support it? And is that kind of a watermark or was that a momentous event, I guess, in 2020 as a recognition that something is happening here, that organizations need to be aware of.

[00:13:10.02] 

Yeah, well, I think you're definitely right that over time we have all become, and this is among organizations that serve the vulnerable or humanitarian organizations, but really the population in general has become more aware of how climate change is impacting the world. Everything that we do and how we have to be thinking always, all of us, the we involves, all of us thinking about how we contribute to avoiding the problem and promoting the solutions. And so I think that NGO climate compact was very important in 2022. It's basically a pledge by humanitarian organizations to commit to work together to address climate change and to recognize the environment as a central factor in achieving our mission to serve the world's poorest and most vulnerable. Basically, through that compact, we committed to large scale change across our sector, especially in four key areas, education and advocacy, cross sectoral programming, internal operations at our headquarters and field offices. So what is our carbon footprint? You know, how are we contributing? And then also through learning and education. And so I think it just signifies that we have become more aware of how important the environment and climate in particular is to future of refugees, the future of vulnerable people, the future of the world, really.

[00:14:30.03] 

And that we have to think about through all levels of our operation, how we are avoiding, contributing and promoting solutions.

[00:14:39.02] 

You mentioned earlier on in the discussion, and I want to return to it, your position as a Catholic organization. I'm curious what role that plays. Obviously, as you noted, this is an issue that Pope Francis has been rather vocal about, including in 2015. What role does that faith background play in JRS's approach to climate change? And how unique does that make you as an organization?

[00:14:59.16] 

Well, Catholic teaching is a key motivator for an organization like Jesuit Refugee Service and the work that we do. It starts with the idea that that fundamental idea of welcoming the stranger is at the heart of our tradition, going back to earliest scripture, you know, and we have a history as a Catholic community of supporting the environment, speaking up for protecting the environment and including the climate. And Pope Francis, as you said, and as I've said, has been just an incredible global advocate for protecting God's creation and acknowledging climate change and doing what we can to address it. And he's also been an incredible advocate for refugees and migrants. One of the first things he did after he became pope was to go to the Italian island of Lampedusa where Syrian refugees were arriving. And he made it absolutely clear that as a Catholic community, we would not forget the refugees and we wouldn't be indifferent to their plight. And so I think those values and the intersection of those values are very much at the heart of what motivates and gives direction to JRS. And I would also, I also want to acknowledge that we're a Jesuit organization and the Jesuits also have both a decades long commitment to refugees and displaced people, but also a very strong and, you know, kind of a across the global Jesuit world commitment to addressing the environment and climate through something called the universal apostolic preferences.

[00:16:24.17] 

So those values are very much in the fabric of who we are. And you know, it just all kind of fits into the gospel call that we feel to care for the most vulnerable, including those who've been forced to flee their home.

[00:16:39.00] 

We're getting towards the end of our time here, but I'd like to wrap things up by looking forwards. You're an organization that operates on the ground, I guess. What would you like to see in terms of policy or global approach coordination to better respond to the needs of people who are displaced amid the impacts of climate change? And how optimistic are you or should we be that whatever you want to see will actually happen in the somewhat near-ish future?

[00:17:05.17] 

Yeah, well, I think the question of policy and advocacy are critical on this and it is an area where the humanitarian community, the international non governmental organizations, INGO community really works together and the US can play a critical role. So I think that the leadership of the US in acknowledging that climate is a force for displacement and that this has to be factored in as we think about accepting or identifying people as refugees, acknowledging that all of us have a role to play in reducing climate change and really making that commitment. You know, we saw at the conference of the parties at COP 26, that some progress is better than no progress. And so that makes me hopeful. But at the same time there is so much to do and so much to try to keep control over the human impacts on climate change. So that is a critical question. There are some very important policies that the US can take a leadership role in, but I am hopeful in the end that we can, as a global community, both address what is in many ways an existential threat, but also make sure that even the most vulnerable, even the most powerless people are protected as we move forward in trying to save God's creation.

[00:18:24.05] 

I guess you wouldn't be where you were if you weren't at least a little bit hopeful. So well done for that. Joan Rosenhauer is the Executive Director of Jesuit Refugee Service USA. Joan, thanks so much for coming on talk with me today. This was a lot of fun and I learned a lot.

[00:18:37.13] 

Thank you. Thank you.

[00:18:41.03] 

Thank you for listening to Changing Climate, Changing Migration. If you enjoyed my conversation with Joan, please check out the other episodes of the podcast. You should subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Spotify or whatever podcast service you use and it would great if you would give us a rating. You can find all the episodes of this podcast as well as MPI's other podcasts on our online archives at migrationpolicy.org/podcasts. Read in depth analysis of climate change and migration in this special issue of the Migration Information Source that's online at migrationpolicy.org/climate. And sign up for the Migration Information Source newsletter to get updates on the latest trends in international migration and updates from MPI. You can also follow MPI on social media. We're on Twitter, we're on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. This episode was produced by Yoseph Hamid and made possible with the assistance of Julia Yanoff and Lisa Dixon. Our theme music is called Touch by Patrick Patrikios. I'm Julian Hattem and I hope to see you next time.