Climate Refugees: A Global Challenge

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More than 30 million people flee their villages, regions or countries every year because of climate change. By 2050, it’s estimated there will be between 200 million and 1 billion climate refugees. As extreme weather threatens the lives of hundreds of millions of people, how can the world best respond?

Faced with these migrations, the international community seems incapable of agreeing on defining new protection and compensation. Currently there is no clear definition of a ‘climate refugee’, and climate refugees are not covered by the 1951 Refugee Convention. The spectre of waves of unrestrained migration is brandished for populist purposes to justify the locking of borders.

But, in the absence of a global response, the countries and regions most affected by the climate change/migration problem are taking the initiative.

Climate Refugees: A Global Challenge explores these challenges through the prism of individual human stories and innovative initiatives in Asia, the Pacific and Latin America. In the long term, they could become models for change well beyond their borders.

"Climate Refugees: A Global Challenge powerfully weaves stories of climate-induced displacement and loss with those of struggle for legal recognition and justice. Illuminating the realities of communities on the frontlines of climate disaster, this film will inspire audiences on how to be in solidarity and to take meaningful action." —Megan Carney, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Author, The Unending Hunger: Tracing Women and Food Insecurity Across Borders

"This is a sobering and yet hopeful account of climate change, displacement and resilience from the perspective of those who are feeling its most acute impacts. The film is unsparing in its depiction of the devastating impacts that rising seas, eroding lands, and drought-stricken fields are having on especially vulnerable populations - including indigenous and rural villagers. But this film is not about victimization and victimhood; instead, it shows the way that individuals, local communities, national strategies and even regional approaches to combating climate change can work, if we take action sooner rather than later." —Pablo S. Bose, Professor of Geography and Geosciences, Co-Director, Global and Regional Studies, University of Vermont, Author, Refugees in New Destinations and Small Cities: Resettlement in Vermont

"Climate Refugees: A Global Challenge takes viewers into the often-overlooked experiences of ordinary people in villages and coastal communities across world regions who mobilize socially to survive the devastation and displacement caused by climate change. The film shows that climate refugees are not merely victims, but active agents engaged in struggles for survival, often without state support." —Nestor Rodriguez, Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin, Co-author, Deportation and Return in a Border-Restricted World

"Expounded directly by the protagonists, local victims and politicians, Climate Refugees: A Global Challenge opens the viewers' eyes to the current invisibility and lack of legal status of people forcibly displaced by climate change. The documentary film centers on the case studies of three countries, Bangladesh, Colombia, and Fiji, to expose the tragedy and provide possible solutions. The film is ultimately an urgent call to the international community to take legal and preventive action before it is too late." —Ignacio López-Calvo, Professor of Latin American Literature and Culture, University of California-Merced, Co-editor, Hydrohumanities: Water Discourse and Environmental Futures

"In Climate Refugees: A Global Challenge, the argument is simple but profound: People need rights as well as shelter. Through the personal stories of those in Bangladesh, Colombia, and Fiji, the film explores how the Global South is pioneering solutions to displacement - and asks what the Global North is doing to help. This is a timely investigation into how we can preserve not just lives, but the ancestral identities tied to the lands currently under threat." —Lisa Meierotto, Associate Professor of Global and Environmental Studies, Boise State University, Author, Immigration, Environment, and Security on the U.S.-Mexico Border

"Climate Refugees: A Global Challenge shows the urgent loss of land and culture in the worlds of those being displaced by climate impacts in their own words. These compelling stories are important to show the humanity behind this phenomenon." —Andrea C. Simonelli, Associate Professor of Political Science, Thrust 4 Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment, Virginia Commonwealth University

"Climate Refugees provides up-to-date information while emphasizing innovative strategies, community-led initiatives, and the disproportionate impacts of climate change in Bangladesh, Colombia, and the Pacific Islands. It further examines obstacles such as limited funding, inadequate public support, and substantial losses of both tangible and intangible resources. The film's inclusion of diverse perspectives make it a valuable resource for classroom discussions on formally recognizing affected individuals and communities, while upholding their integrity, rights, and self-determination." —Staci Martin, Assistant Professor of Practice, Child, Youth, and Family Studies, Portland State University

"This is a powerful film that shines a light on one of the most important issues of our day: climate justice. Through its comparison of climate-related displacement in three very different places - Bangladesh, Colombia, and Fiji - the film highlights the role that international human rights law can play in addressing the needs of climate refugees. A perfect film for students of climate change, environmental justice, human rights, and international humanitarian law." —Tom Perreault, Professor of Latin American Geography, Syracuse University, Co-editor, Water Justice

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Main credits

Trégan, François-Xavier (filmmaker)
Sztanke, Michaël (film producer)
D'Silva, Julius (narrator)

Other credits

Cinematography, Stephane Rossi, Vincent Rimbaux; editing, Fanny Boutillon; music, Nicolas Mollard.

MARC Record See Worldcat record

Keywords

climate change,climate crisis,climate refugee,climate refugees,extreme weather,sea level rise,migration,1951 Refugee Convention,populism,Asia,Pacific,North America,human rights,Bangladesh,Colombia,Fiji,Oceania; "Climate Refugees: A Global Challenge"; Bullfrog Films

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[waves crashing]

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[wind howling]

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[footsteps splashing]

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[wind howling]

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[waves lapping]

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[indistinct chatter]

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[waves lapping]

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[dog barking]

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[pensive instrumental music]

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- The lives of millions of
people across the world

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are radically affected by
climate change.

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But while Lokkhi Mondol

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is delaying her departure from her
village for lack of funds,

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many others are already taking
the road to exile.

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These forcibly displaced people

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do not yet have any
specific legal status.

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International law seems to
ignore them.

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So, local solutions are emerging
to try and fill the gap

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that leaves these people
unprotected.

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[resonant bell tolling]

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[indistinct chatter]

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[indistinct chatter]

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[ship's horn blaring]

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[indistinct chatter]

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Every day, more than 2,000
climate refugees arrive in Dhaka,

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the capital of Bangladesh,
via the port of Sadarghat.

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Most of them will settle
in shanty towns

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that are already full
to overflowing.

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[pensive instrumental music]

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- Around the world,

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there are now more people forcibly
displaced by cyclones,

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rising sea levels, or drought

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than refugees from war and conflict.

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There were 26 million of them
in 2023.

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According to the World Bank,

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there could be more than
220 million by 2050.

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Yet there is no international
legal framework

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guaranteeing them specific
protection.

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The law does not even manage
to give them a name.

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Are they displaced persons?

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Are they refugees?

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Or climate migrants?

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The international community pretends
not to see them,

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no doubt frightened by the
worst-case scenario:

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[train wheels clattering]

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a massive influx of refugees to
developed countries.

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Yet the vast majority of these
climate victims

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are moving within their own
country or region.

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- The situation of people being
displaced by climate change

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is growing by the day.

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Extreme weather events

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are forcing some 60,000
displacements per day.

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Whether we're talking about droughts
or floods or cyclones,

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the importance of dealing with
climate change

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is that there's often very little
in terms of protection,

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certainly international protection.

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[indistinct chatter]

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[train wheels clattering]

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- Displacement in the context of
climate change or disasters

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is not about people moving
from A to B.

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It's about loss.

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When you're displaced from
one day to another,

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you lose everything:

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your home, your livelihoods,
your social ties,

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sometimes your documents,
your political rights.

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So, really helping these people is
about reverting that loss.

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And what human rights say is you
have a right to housing,

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you have a right to access
livelihoods, to access education,

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health, et cetera, et cetera.

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- Will we see more people become
more vulnerable?

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Absolutely.

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Do we know whether it's
likely to occur?

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Absolutely.

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Are we doing enough about it?

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No.

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[traffic and street noise]

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The challenge now is not
necessarily just to recognize

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that people are being impacted,
but to do something about it.

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We have to find what are the
mechanisms, tools,

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instruments that can best provide
that protection.

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[vehicle honking]

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[train horn blaring]

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- Faced with a slow and
timid response

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from the international community,

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the most vulnerable countries are
also the most determined.

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In Latin America, the Pacific
and Asia,

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three countries are developing
projects,

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sometimes with very limited
resources.

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They have to respond to an emergency
that is affecting them now.

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[indistinct chatter]

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[pensive instrumental music]

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- If you're looking at the realities
in many countries

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for people who people are
internally displaced,

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they have a humanitarian response.

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Food is distributed,
maybe some tents, et cetera.

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But that's not the solution.

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That's short-term,

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and it doesn't help people to
rebuild their lives.

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Bangladesh really has developed
a very interesting

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and innovative approach.

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Instead of people being forced to
move to the big cities,

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where they end up in misery

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somewhere in the slums at the
outskirts of these big cities,

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they are promoting the idea
of smaller cities,

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or towns, even, to receive those
who have to leave their homes,

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to help them to adapt to the
new circumstances

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and through that to rebuild
their lives.

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[gentle guitar playing]

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[pensive instrumental music]

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[indistinct chatter]

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[gentle guitar playing]

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[indistinct chatter]

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[pensive instrumental music]

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- 80% of Bangladesh consists of a
large alluvial plain

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lying less than 10 meters
above sea level,

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so it is highly vulnerable to
rising sea levels.

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But Bangladesh is also the second
most cyclone-prone country

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in the world.

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Cyclones are becoming increasingly
frequent and violent.

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Climate change could cost Bangladesh

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up to 9% of its annual GDP by 2050,

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slowing the economic growth driven
by textiles and agriculture.

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But natural disasters

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have already caused almost 15 million
internal displacements

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in the last 10 years.

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Model villages could be the
last resort

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for the most vulnerable.

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[pensive instrumental music]

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[indistinct chatter]

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[upbeat instrumental music]

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- The model village in Mongla
came into being

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thanks to action by national
government,

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local authorities and BRAC,
the country's largest NGO.

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[infant crying]

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[indistinct chatter]

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[steam hissing]

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[voice on loudspeaker]

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[pensive instrumental music]

00:15:12.405 --> 00:15:17.405
[gentle guitar playing]

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[motorbike engine puttering]

00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:26.615
[indistinct chatter]

00:15:26.615 --> 00:15:31.615
[pensive instrumental music]

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[pensive instrumental music]

00:17:10.689 --> 00:17:14.784
- Bangladesh currently has four
model villages of the same type

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as the one in Mongla.

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Eventually, the authorities and BRAC

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hope to be able to support
160,000 people.

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But the country

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is expected to have 20 million
climate refugees by 2050.

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These model villages alone

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will not be enough to respond
to the crisis.

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The displaced people will need
rights as well as shelter.

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- The way climate change is
being predicted,

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if the worst scenario becomes
the reality,

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that will mean that one-third
of the country

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will go underwater.

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That will mean that my children,
my grandchildren,

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will be drawing the map of
Bangladesh differently

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than how I used to draw it.

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This will also mean that a huge
number of people

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will have to be relocated.

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Bangladesh is already the eighth
most populated country

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of the world.

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We have very limited quantum
of land.

00:18:13.520 --> 00:18:17.255
[traffic and street noise]

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If we only emphasize on adaptation

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and rely too much on the resilience
of countries like ours,

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please note that adaptation has
its own limits.

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With all the development
interventions,

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you can't prevent migration.

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Then, you have to make sure that
those who are displaced

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are given the right identity and the
right set of protection.

00:18:42.746 --> 00:18:47.746
[indistinct chatter]

00:18:50.816 --> 00:18:54.630
- To talk about a special legal
status for displaced persons

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or climate refugees at present
would mean entering

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into a long and complex series
of negotiations.

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Isn't it more urgent to
recognize them

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first and foremost as victims?

00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:08.105
[vehicles honking]

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- One way to help people to
rebuild their lives

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is to really take law seriously.

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Human rights law,
but also fundamental rights

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as they are incorporated in
national constitutions.

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Of course, this doesn't work in
every country

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because there are countries with
very weak judicial systems,

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countries that don't really
have a tradition

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of putting constitutional law,

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putting human rights at the front.

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But in a country like Colombia,

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law plays an extremely
important role.

00:19:46.435 --> 00:19:50.635
[distant traffic noise]

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- Colombia, which is rich in
natural resources,

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is particularly exposed to
climate change.

00:19:58.250 --> 00:20:01.575
Prolonged droughts in its Amazon
and Andean regions

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are threatening food security and
energy production.

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Rising sea levels in the coastal
areas of the Caribbean

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impact indigenous peoples that are
particularly vulnerable.

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But in the face of these challenges,

00:20:16.510 --> 00:20:19.110
the country has invaluable
experience.

00:20:21.110 --> 00:20:23.445
- Colombia has spent decades

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dealing with internally displaced
during the conflict,

00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:29.965
and so they're very strong in
terms of human rights,

00:20:29.965 --> 00:20:32.690
they're very strong in terms of the
protection of people

00:20:32.690 --> 00:20:33.690
that have been displaced.

00:20:33.980 --> 00:20:37.960
And remarkably, they're almost
a world leader

00:20:38.170 --> 00:20:41.900
in understanding that if people have
been displaced by conflict

00:20:41.900 --> 00:20:45.325
or by climate change, then they
need to be put in a place

00:20:45.325 --> 00:20:47.590
where they're not put at
further risk.

00:20:47.590 --> 00:20:50.800
[indistinct chatter]

00:20:50.890 --> 00:20:54.295
- Colombia has developed a unique
system of legal clinics

00:20:54.420 --> 00:20:55.640
throughout the country.

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These are advice centers

00:20:57.645 --> 00:21:01.100
where law students are supervised
by university teachers

00:21:01.100 --> 00:21:02.525
and practicing lawyers.

00:21:02.665 --> 00:21:05.070
Together, they provide free
legal assistance

00:21:05.070 --> 00:21:06.310
to the most vulnerable,

00:21:06.565 --> 00:21:08.580
and protecting climate refugees

00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:10.395
is one of their priorities today.

00:22:16.003 --> 00:22:19.938
[floodwaters rushing]

00:22:19.938 --> 00:22:23.055
- José and his wife Ana have
become iconic faces

00:22:23.055 --> 00:22:24.890
of climate change in Colombia

00:22:24.890 --> 00:22:28.005
following the extraordinary flooding
of the Bojaba River.

00:23:40.385 --> 00:23:44.345
[indistinct chatter]

00:23:44.810 --> 00:23:47.115
- After four years of legal
proceedings,

00:23:47.115 --> 00:23:50.540
Ana and José have become the first
victims of climate change

00:23:50.540 --> 00:23:53.350
to be officially recognized by the
Colombian courts,

00:23:53.850 --> 00:23:56.215
a decision that could inspire
other countries.

00:26:03.699 --> 00:26:08.699
[waves crashing]

00:26:09.209 --> 00:26:13.055
- But climate displacement does not
only violate human rights.

00:26:13.055 --> 00:26:16.470
It can also sever an ancestral,
almost sacred link

00:26:16.470 --> 00:26:18.100
to a land and a history.

00:26:18.100 --> 00:26:23.030
[waves crashing]

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[waves crashing]

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[waves crashing]

00:28:19.625 --> 00:28:22.625
[waves crashing]

00:28:22.625 --> 00:28:27.625
[pensive instrumental music]

00:28:54.333 --> 00:28:57.333
[birds chirping]

00:29:20.591 --> 00:29:23.141
[birds chirping]

00:29:28.999 --> 00:29:31.999
[insects buzzing]

00:29:33.790 --> 00:29:38.790
[waves crashing]

00:30:15.456 --> 00:30:17.999
[waves crashing]

00:30:54.999 --> 00:30:59.658
[waves crashing]

00:31:43.999 --> 00:31:47.266
[waves crashing]

00:31:54.999 --> 00:31:58.002
[cookware clinking]
[indistinct chatter]

00:31:59.921 --> 00:32:03.216
[birds chirping]
[liquid flowing]

00:32:03.916 --> 00:32:08.002
[indistinct chatter]
[birds chirping]

00:32:31.620 --> 00:32:33.620
[clanking]
[birds chirping]

00:33:21.872 --> 00:33:25.872
[birds chirping]

00:34:34.514 --> 00:34:37.474
- Faced with the urgency of the
situation in the country,

00:34:37.474 --> 00:34:39.554
the parliament now wants to
go further.

00:34:39.554 --> 00:34:42.780
It is debating a law that would
automatically recognize

00:34:42.780 --> 00:34:45.900
all "climate-displaced persons"
as victims.

00:34:46.310 --> 00:34:49.449
The State would then have to take
responsibility for them,

00:34:49.449 --> 00:34:51.449
compensate them, and rehouse them.

00:36:20.121 --> 00:36:24.121
[gentle guitar playing]

00:36:24.121 --> 00:36:26.551
- The link with the land and
traditions

00:36:26.555 --> 00:36:30.315
that Clarena is alone in defending
is already at the heart

00:36:30.315 --> 00:36:33.745
of other regions' strategies
through a new right:

00:36:33.745 --> 00:36:35.055
the right to remain.

00:36:35.580 --> 00:36:37.000
This right is not easy,

00:36:37.370 --> 00:36:38.485
for it would be difficult

00:36:38.485 --> 00:36:40.800
to ignore the harsh reality of
the climate.

00:36:41.220 --> 00:36:44.795
In Fiji, in the South Pacific,
rising sea levels

00:36:44.795 --> 00:36:47.465
and the intensification of
tropical cyclones

00:36:47.465 --> 00:36:50.490
have already caused considerable
economic losses.

00:36:51.275 --> 00:36:55.430
Made up of more than 330 islands,
the archipelago,

00:36:55.430 --> 00:36:58.405
like the other micro island states
in the region,

00:36:58.445 --> 00:37:00.920
depends mainly on tourism
and fishing,

00:37:01.135 --> 00:37:04.515
two sectors directly affected by
the climate crisis.

00:37:06.145 --> 00:37:08.675
Measures for adaptation and
resilience

00:37:08.675 --> 00:37:11.880
are essential to ensure the survival
of the communities

00:37:11.880 --> 00:37:13.085
and their cultures.

00:37:13.343 --> 00:37:17.148
[gentle guitar playing]

00:37:19.233 --> 00:37:23.233
[waves lapping]

00:37:23.508 --> 00:37:24.990
- God, our creator,

00:37:28.705 --> 00:37:29.995
our savior,

00:37:31.610 --> 00:37:36.155
our world is in a vulnerable state.

00:37:38.665 --> 00:37:42.345
We pray for blessing on
these families

00:37:42.345 --> 00:37:43.975
and their communities.

00:37:45.845 --> 00:37:49.595
Please daily remind them that
they are not alone.

00:37:51.965 --> 00:37:56.240
They have brothers and sisters
who will stand

00:37:56.260 --> 00:37:57.630
and walk with them,

00:37:58.785 --> 00:38:04.785
and also will be their voice in
these communities,

00:38:05.445 --> 00:38:06.590
in this country,

00:38:07.790 --> 00:38:09.075
and in our world.

00:38:09.685 --> 00:38:13.685
[waves lapping]

00:38:13.885 --> 00:38:17.425
- The PCC was established
in the 1960s

00:38:17.525 --> 00:38:20.920
across 19 Pacific Island countries
and territories.

00:38:21.145 --> 00:38:23.465
The member churches and
their congregations

00:38:23.465 --> 00:38:28.510
account for about 70% of the
Pacific's human population.

00:38:28.840 --> 00:38:32.760
Well, I think particularly in the
context of climate change,

00:38:32.760 --> 00:38:37.500
there has been, particularly
recently, a lot of focus

00:38:37.500 --> 00:38:39.865
on the issue of climate-induced
displacement,

00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:42.720
relocation and migration.

00:38:42.920 --> 00:38:46.120
We use the term, in the Church
we use "forced migration"

00:38:46.120 --> 00:38:48.660
because, really, nobody wants to
leave their home.

00:38:49.180 --> 00:38:50.300
And if you visit our people

00:38:50.300 --> 00:38:55.190
and you see their almost spiritual
connection to the land

00:38:56.220 --> 00:38:58.800
that they have lived on
for generations,

00:38:58.800 --> 00:39:02.055
where many of them,
their umbilical cords are buried

00:39:02.255 --> 00:39:04.035
with the trees and things like that.

00:39:04.525 --> 00:39:09.060
Ultimately, people see that movement

00:39:09.060 --> 00:39:10.925
as a disconnection from land

00:39:10.925 --> 00:39:13.160
and a disconnection from
their identity.

00:39:14.160 --> 00:39:19.160
[pensive instrumental music]

00:39:37.800 --> 00:39:39.185
- I wasn't born at that time,

00:39:39.185 --> 00:39:44.705
but I found out from my parents or
my uncles that in 1952

00:39:45.200 --> 00:39:46.470
we had a mini tsunami,

00:39:46.930 --> 00:39:49.740
and from that time,
the place started eroding.

00:39:51.345 --> 00:39:54.405
But at that time,
climate change wasn't recognized.

00:39:54.895 --> 00:39:58.215
Climate change was recognized
in 2004.

00:39:58.750 --> 00:40:03.750
[gentle instrumental music]

00:40:07.215 --> 00:40:08.215
I was born here.

00:40:08.845 --> 00:40:10.175
My dad was a carpenter.

00:40:10.715 --> 00:40:13.900
He pulled this house out,
I was 10 years old.

00:40:14.355 --> 00:40:15.760
Then we moved in the back there.

00:40:20.940 --> 00:40:25.180
Why you see the place is all bushy,
we don't want to destroy it,

00:40:25.525 --> 00:40:28.365
so it can hold the land so it
doesn't erode faster.

00:40:28.700 --> 00:40:30.870
So that's why we have planted
coconut trees

00:40:31.370 --> 00:40:36.525
and some of these pandanus,
so it holds the land.

00:40:36.870 --> 00:40:38.930
Because here we don't have
any soil, it's only sand.

00:40:39.285 --> 00:40:43.285
[gentle scraping]

00:40:49.360 --> 00:40:51.465
All these people, they stayed here.

00:40:52.690 --> 00:40:55.485
They died here and we buried
them here.

00:40:56.355 --> 00:40:58.670
But now we cannot bury
any more here

00:40:58.855 --> 00:41:00.440
because if we dig only this much,

00:41:00.570 --> 00:41:01.955
there's only sand and water.

00:41:02.325 --> 00:41:05.080
Sometimes we have to wait till
it's a very low tide,

00:41:05.490 --> 00:41:08.750
then we start digging,
then one person has to run

00:41:08.750 --> 00:41:11.485
to go and tell them what time to
bring the coffin

00:41:11.485 --> 00:41:12.625
to put it inside.

00:41:13.480 --> 00:41:16.340
So, we have to keep on sending
the message.

00:41:16.340 --> 00:41:19.675
Once the digging is finished,
we put the coffin.

00:41:20.070 --> 00:41:21.580
Buried at the same time, fast.

00:41:21.925 --> 00:41:25.770
If you wait a little,
all the sides of the sand

00:41:25.770 --> 00:41:28.885
start falling in and the
water rises.

00:41:29.255 --> 00:41:30.999
Sometimes we have to bail the water,
bail the water,

00:41:31.002 --> 00:41:32.999
then at the same time you
bring the body

00:41:33.002 --> 00:41:34.160
and put inside and bury.

00:41:35.010 --> 00:41:38.010
But, we have stopped it.

00:41:38.530 --> 00:41:39.400
No more burial here now.

00:41:39.400 --> 00:41:42.215
We have to find a new place
for burial, for me.

00:41:42.650 --> 00:41:43.650
[chuckles]

00:41:47.475 --> 00:41:50.885
- Fiji has about 1,170 communities.

00:41:51.390 --> 00:41:54.450
Displacement, in the long run,

00:41:54.755 --> 00:41:58.400
would be more than 240
communities in Fiji.

00:41:58.400 --> 00:42:01.700
No one talks about the non-economic
loss and damage,

00:42:01.700 --> 00:42:03.500
where you cannot put a dollar value.

00:42:03.935 --> 00:42:08.340
For example, when you relocate
a community it's a hard ask,

00:42:09.455 --> 00:42:10.999
a very hard ask,

00:42:11.002 --> 00:42:13.087
because you are attached to
the land,

00:42:13.175 --> 00:42:15.020
your ancestors have been there,

00:42:15.100 --> 00:42:17.060
that's where you identify
yourself from.

00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:19.980
Asking us to relocate,

00:42:20.950 --> 00:42:23.655
there is no amount of quantification

00:42:23.655 --> 00:42:25.960
that can actually put a dollar
value to that.

00:42:25.999 --> 00:42:30.000
[waves crashing]

00:42:31.500 --> 00:42:34.790
If you say for me to relocate
or move,

00:42:35.250 --> 00:42:37.495
I think it's very hard for me
to move

00:42:38.110 --> 00:42:39.430
because I was born here,

00:42:39.560 --> 00:42:41.999
I've lived here all my life.

00:42:42.032 --> 00:42:44.532
I've lived here for 58 years.

00:42:45.065 --> 00:42:46.680
And if you're asking me to move now,

00:42:47.190 --> 00:42:49.395
I cannot leave my ancestors out
there in the sea,

00:42:49.395 --> 00:42:50.395
as you can see.

00:42:52.905 --> 00:42:56.400
Those graveyards were old,
so we just left it like that.

00:42:57.155 --> 00:43:01.290
I was very young at that time,
but we couldn't do anything.

00:43:02.085 --> 00:43:04.100
We had no other place,
no other option,

00:43:04.960 --> 00:43:08.170
so we didn't touch anything
from there.

00:43:09.410 --> 00:43:11.055
So, we just let them rest in peace.

00:43:11.985 --> 00:43:13.270
We don't want to disturb them.

00:43:14.730 --> 00:43:19.730
[pensive instrumental music]

00:43:26.663 --> 00:43:28.863
[child laughing]

00:43:31.995 --> 00:43:35.630
- What happens when whole
communities start to move?

00:43:36.095 --> 00:43:40.540
How do we make it from communities

00:43:40.540 --> 00:43:44.685
who are thinking from a concept
of exile?

00:43:45.840 --> 00:43:49.395
We have seen relocation that
is done well.

00:43:49.395 --> 00:43:52.375
We have seen relocations that
have not gone well.

00:43:53.540 --> 00:43:56.685
There are relocation guidelines that
have been developed

00:43:56.685 --> 00:44:00.210
by many countries,
standard operating procedures.

00:44:01.055 --> 00:44:03.795
But the challenge that we face is
that these things

00:44:03.795 --> 00:44:06.600
need to be contextualized to each
community,

00:44:07.440 --> 00:44:11.620
and the right of the community to
not only move

00:44:11.620 --> 00:44:12.945
but stay in place.

00:44:13.610 --> 00:44:18.410
[waves lapping]

00:44:18.410 --> 00:44:23.410
[percussive drumming and vocalizing]

00:44:27.348 --> 00:44:31.348
[clapping and exclaiming]

00:44:38.485 --> 00:44:39.555
- The Pacific Islands region

00:44:39.555 --> 00:44:41.900
is a step ahead of the rest
of the world

00:44:41.900 --> 00:44:44.095
on this issue of climate change
movement.

00:44:44.305 --> 00:44:46.950
Governments understand that working
together in solidarity

00:44:46.950 --> 00:44:48.925
is a strength of the region.

00:44:50.010 --> 00:44:54.295
In 2023, the Forum leaders endorsed
what's called

00:44:54.295 --> 00:44:57.825
the "Pacific Regional Framework on
Climate Mobility".

00:44:57.960 --> 00:45:00.605
It's the first of its kind anywhere
in the world.

00:45:01.045 --> 00:45:03.660
We have the commitment from the
leaders of the region,

00:45:03.660 --> 00:45:06.610
from the 18 member countries of the
Pacific Island Forum,

00:45:07.170 --> 00:45:08.410
and we're currently in the process

00:45:08.410 --> 00:45:10.410
of developing an
implementation plan.

00:45:11.285 --> 00:45:14.940
- Never before has the need for our
voices to be heard

00:45:15.200 --> 00:45:16.375
been more pressing.

00:45:17.100 --> 00:45:21.080
Never before has the need to stand
by our choices,

00:45:21.405 --> 00:45:23.765
our decisions, been more vital.

00:45:24.440 --> 00:45:27.480
And never before have we
had an opportunity

00:45:27.710 --> 00:45:31.565
to embody the Pacific Way
together as one.

00:45:33.605 --> 00:45:38.555
- The Pacific States are responsible
for just 0.02%

00:45:38.700 --> 00:45:41.210
of the world's greenhouse gas
emissions,

00:45:41.530 --> 00:45:44.310
but they are on the frontline of
climate change.

00:45:44.805 --> 00:45:48.850
Rising sea levels threaten to wipe
out several countries,

00:45:49.070 --> 00:45:53.025
including Tuvalu, Kiribati and the
Marshall Islands.

00:45:53.470 --> 00:45:57.745
The regional framework adopted in
2023 is unique

00:45:57.920 --> 00:46:01.025
in that it creates an obligation
of solidarity

00:46:01.025 --> 00:46:04.875
between all the states in the region
and eliminates borders.

00:46:06.200 --> 00:46:08.750
- Migration outwards to another
country

00:46:08.750 --> 00:46:10.520
is recognized in the framework.

00:46:11.620 --> 00:46:14.550
It's enabling Pacific Island people
to go to Australia

00:46:14.550 --> 00:46:17.275
and New Zealand and access
labor opportunities.

00:46:17.780 --> 00:46:20.620
But the priority really is for
staying in-country,

00:46:20.790 --> 00:46:22.550
which is a challenge for the
Pacific.

00:46:23.430 --> 00:46:27.875
So I think one of the key components
of enabling people to stay

00:46:27.875 --> 00:46:30.015
is a human rights-based approach,

00:46:30.015 --> 00:46:36.015
and within that is included
ideas like free,

00:46:36.580 --> 00:46:37.845
prior, and informed consent.

00:46:38.015 --> 00:46:40.960
So people are provided with
enough information

00:46:41.425 --> 00:46:43.140
to be able to make an informed
decision

00:46:43.140 --> 00:46:45.065
about whether or not to move.

00:46:45.905 --> 00:46:49.315
[waves lapping]

00:46:49.315 --> 00:46:54.315
[mortar and pestle clanking]

00:47:02.895 --> 00:47:06.800
[indistinct chatter]

00:47:07.205 --> 00:47:08.445
[liquid flowing]

00:47:46.286 --> 00:47:50.286
[gentle instrumental music]

00:47:56.540 --> 00:47:58.540
[water flowing]

00:48:03.593 --> 00:48:06.533
- It's not fair on us for people
to assume

00:48:06.533 --> 00:48:09.408
that we will just flee to another
country seeking refuge.

00:48:09.773 --> 00:48:10.958
We don't work like that.

00:48:11.138 --> 00:48:12.730
We never have and never will.

00:48:13.399 --> 00:48:16.495
[birds chirping]
[indistinct chatter]

00:49:17.098 --> 00:49:20.673
- Here in Europe in particular,
but also in northern America,

00:49:21.053 --> 00:49:24.530
we have all these tendencies to
rather close borders,

00:49:24.530 --> 00:49:25.645
not open them.

00:49:27.120 --> 00:49:28.150
In general.

00:49:29.190 --> 00:49:31.655
And in Europe, we don't have
many discussions

00:49:31.655 --> 00:49:35.720
about the admission of people
affected and displaced

00:49:35.720 --> 00:49:37.950
by climate change impacts.

00:49:37.950 --> 00:49:40.940
We need really to think hard about

00:49:41.640 --> 00:49:46.425
how globally we are facing this
challenge because

00:49:46.650 --> 00:49:50.150
the challenge will not go away,
it will increase.

00:49:50.340 --> 00:49:53.585
And it's better to start now to plan

00:49:53.975 --> 00:49:58.390
to make those kinds of migration
and movements

00:49:58.390 --> 00:50:04.390
of people regular, managed,
and not wait till we are faced

00:50:05.160 --> 00:50:08.965
with unmanageable situations.

00:50:09.690 --> 00:50:11.260
As it's always the same thing.

00:50:11.610 --> 00:50:14.470
Planning ahead is better than
missing that chance

00:50:14.640 --> 00:50:18.535
and then getting into chaotic and
very difficult situations.

00:50:19.208 --> 00:50:22.578
[poignant instrumental music]

00:50:22.578 --> 00:50:25.343
- Climate refugees remain largely
invisible

00:50:25.343 --> 00:50:27.200
in terms of international law.

00:50:27.640 --> 00:50:30.715
However, thanks to solidarity
agreements,

00:50:30.715 --> 00:50:34.215
official recognition of a unique
link to a territory,

00:50:34.400 --> 00:50:37.860
or simply access to protection
that already exists,

00:50:38.140 --> 00:50:41.600
many could avoid a departure
experienced as exile.

00:50:42.875 --> 00:50:45.835
As for those who have no choice but
to leave their country,

00:50:45.835 --> 00:50:48.120
being officially recognized
as victims

00:50:48.420 --> 00:50:51.370
would finally give them access
to basic rights

00:50:51.370 --> 00:50:53.220
that are currently denied to them.

00:50:53.220 --> 00:50:55.000
- The international community is
not serious.

00:50:57.945 --> 00:50:58.960
There is funding out there.

00:50:58.960 --> 00:51:01.420
But if you look at the amount of
money which is being provided

00:51:01.420 --> 00:51:04.555
on the development of AI and
compare that

00:51:04.555 --> 00:51:06.340
to the amount of money which is
being provided

00:51:06.340 --> 00:51:11.415
to emergency support,
building weather-resistant shelters,

00:51:11.415 --> 00:51:14.715
making sure that people can
live in dignity,

00:51:14.910 --> 00:51:16.595
there's a discrepancy there.

00:51:18.610 --> 00:51:22.765
People find it difficult to find a
return on their investment

00:51:22.765 --> 00:51:23.747
helping people.

00:51:23.750 --> 00:51:26.335
But we're saying, it's humanity.

00:51:26.335 --> 00:51:30.225
If you don't want refugees and
others coming to your regions,

00:51:30.525 --> 00:51:33.240
then do the obvious thing by
providing the support

00:51:33.240 --> 00:51:34.790
where people are.

00:51:35.500 --> 00:51:39.155
[waves crashing]

00:51:44.575 --> 00:51:46.320
- Day will come when I won't
be here.

00:51:50.415 --> 00:51:53.055
My generation, my children,
my grandchildren,

00:51:53.360 --> 00:51:54.645
they will be the ones who suffer.

00:51:56.390 --> 00:52:00.050
But I used to share to my children
that whatever happens,

00:52:00.465 --> 00:52:02.825
they will have to decide, properly.

00:52:04.785 --> 00:52:08.755
Like my father decided to move here,
I've decided to stay here.

00:52:10.240 --> 00:52:12.840
Because climate change,

00:52:13.940 --> 00:52:15.560
he doesn't make friends with anyone.

00:52:17.010 --> 00:52:18.010
He's a monster.

00:52:19.675 --> 00:52:21.270
I think the biggest monster in
this earth

00:52:21.270 --> 00:52:22.300
is the climate change,

00:52:23.000 --> 00:52:25.920
because the whole world is affected
by this climate change.

00:52:28.999 --> 00:52:33.999
[waves lapping]
[wind blowing]

00:52:36.342 --> 00:52:39.582
[pensive instrumental music]

00:52:39.582 --> 00:52:44.582
[gentle guitar playing]

00:52:51.637 --> 00:52:56.637
[pensive instrumental music]