Introduction
Climate change has become one of the significant threats in the contemporary world. Economic crises have also been experienced due to these adverse effects of climate change. Various human activities have led to global warming and poor performance in many sectors. For instance, air pollution is one of the issues that has led to these changes. Several problems have been encountered, causing people to migrate. Some of the issues that communities have faced include extreme weather events, the outbreak of diseases, and pest invasion. Therefore, one can focus on climate change in the modern world to determine its causes, impacts, prevention, and how it leads to immigration.
Major Causes of Climate Change
Various human activities are the significant causes of climate change in the modern world. For instance, greenhouse gas emissions are one of the aspects that lead to global warming and climate change (Dey & Mishra, 2017). Globalization has enabled many companies to invest in various countries. Consequently, these firms use fossil fuels in different operations that increase carbon concentration in the environment. Automobiles have also increased in many countries, leading to high volumes of harmful gases that lead to climate change. Deforestation is another issue that many nations have experienced. People are clearing forests to use the land for other activities such as farming. Thus, the purification of air has been limited since plants absorb carbon, decreasing their atmosphere levels. Livestock rearing and the use of fertilizers in agriculture have contributed to increased greenhouse gases. Thus, these issues are significant factors that have led to climate change and immigration in various states.
Flooding and Landslides Due to Climate Change
Extreme weather events have been experienced in various countries due to climate change. Many people have been forced to flee their areas due to floods. Governments have reported that some regions that have not recorded past flooding cases encounter downpours due to climate changes. Expansion of ocean waters due to high temperatures is another issue that has led to flooding (Dey & Mishra, 2017). Sea-level rises have been experienced in many regions, and people living in these areas are being evacuated. For instance, catastrophic flooding was encountered in the United States and Mexico’s Atlantic Coast due to a high sea-level rise and high rainfall. Loss of lives in these areas has also been reported, which has forced the survivors to immigrate. Moreover, some of these regions are used by individuals for farming, making it hard for them to engage in these productive activities.
Landslides have also been experienced in many areas due to torrential rains. For instance, many people in China have faced mudslides in different regions due to high rainfalls (Yang et al., 2017). Inhabitants in these areas are forced to relocate to other safe places. Moreover, the landslips have led to property loss and can lead to many individuals’ deaths. The government has also ensured that people living in areas with high risks of experiencing landslides are evacuated. Therefore, climate change has led to weather events such as torrential rains that cause landslides and force people to immigrate.
Immigration due to Heat Waves and Drought
Another major issue that has been steered by climate change is the deadly heat waves that are being experienced in various countries. People are being forced to flee to other areas due to high temperatures. Moreover, the increased temperatures can lead to health complications, and health practitioners have encouraged people living in these areas to move to other places. Drought has also been experienced in many countries that have encountered deadly heatwaves. The weather changes have led to the low production of agricultural products. Furthermore, some of the crops dry up due to the high temperatures. Intense heatwaves have also led to low yields in crops that do well in the affected areas.
Drought can also be steered by high rains that destroy plants or lead to deprived harvests. People living in areas that are facing famine are depending on government and nongovernment organizations’ relief food. For instance, the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have ensured that individuals receive their donations. Nonetheless, many people do not acquire adequate food and are forced to immigrate. Some of these residents’ primary source of income is farming. Therefore, droughts and weather events that have adverse effects on agriculture have led to many farmers’ financial challenges. Some of these people have also experienced losses after investing in their farming activities and encountering crop destruction and low yields. Consequently, such individuals immigrate to other regions where they can continue with their farming activities. These issues reveal that climate change has negatively impacted people, causing them to move to safer and more productive areas.
Intense Winter Storms and Hurricanes
Intense winter storms and hurricanes have led to the destruction of properties in many countries. For instance, America has encountered hurricanes that impacted many people, whereby buildings and businesses worth millions of dollars have been destroyed. Moreover, some people have lost their lives during these extreme weather events. Hurricanes have become more intense due to increased water bodies’ temperatures (Keellings & Ayala, 2019). Typically, the storms draw their energy from warm ocean water; thus, seawater is becoming warmer, leading to powerful cyclones. One of the violent storms hit the Gulf Coast and damaged many structures. Hurricane Laura forced people to immigrate to avoid experiencing the adverse effects of storms. Chemical fires among the area’s petrochemical plants were reported, which was a threat to humans. Hurricane Maria primarily affected Dominica, Puerto Rico, and the U.S Virgin Islands (Keellings & Ayala, 2019). Many people lost their lives during the storm, and others were displaced. The increasing cases of violent hurricanes have also become a significant threat to people living in these regions. Thus, many people have immigrated to avoid experiencing deadly cyclones in the future.
Wildfires Steered by Climate Change
Wildfires have been encountered in many countries such as the United States and Australia. Many regions are becoming hotter and drier due to high temperatures caused by climate change. Therefore, the ferocity and speed of wildfires increase, making it hard for people to contain them. California is one of the areas that have recorded many wildfire incidents (Davis et al., 2019). The region has also experienced high temperatures, which have led to increased cases of fires. Oregon and Washington have also experienced explosive fires threatening humans and wildlife (Davis et al., 2019). Deaths of people and destruction of households and businesses caused by these wildfires have forced people to evacuate. Farming in these regions has also been affected by the fires, and farmers have encountered losses, forcing them to immigrate. Thus, wildfires steered by the extreme weather events caused by climate changes have also led to immigration in many countries.
Increased Pest Outbreaks Steered by Climate Change
Climate change is exacerbating pest outbreaks in many regions and has led to the immigration of many people. Communities have been affected by these pests, which mainly destroy plants. For instance, locusts have invaded many areas in different countries, whereby farmers have claimed that pests have cleared their crops, and decreased yields have been experienced. Food insecurity is one of the significant issues that societies have faced after pest attacks (Phophi et al., 2020). Furthermore, climate change induces higher metabolic, survival, and reproductive rates of plant pests. Weather events primarily impact the behaviors of insects. For instance, many insects are sensitive to temperature changes and are shifting to other areas with favorable weather to survive and reproduce. Thus, issues such as locusts moving to other regions have increased in the contemporary world.
The outbreak of Infectious Illnesses
Climate change has some health effects, such as the increased cases of infectious diseases. Typically, human illnesses are imposed through effects on hosts, disease transmission, and pathogens. Consequently, different variables such as temperature and humidity brought by weather events changes make it easier for disease transmission. Lyme, malaria, and yellow fever are some of the conditions that have increased due to climate change. Warm temperatures being encountered in many regions have led to increased breeding of mosquitoes and the spread of malaria. Some infections are also experienced due to floods in some areas. For instance, waterborne diseases have increased in regions that did not encounter high rainfalls in the past (Nichols et al., 2018). Increased heatwaves can also lead to the development of human diseases. In this case, warm temperatures can cause coughing, decrease lung function, and chest tightness. People with respiratory infections such as asthma and other chronic lung diseases can also experience challenges due to extreme weather events. Thus, many people are forced to move to different places to avoid being infected with these illnesses.
Unbearable Working Conditions
People work in different sectors, and some of the industries involve outdoor work. For instance, some people are employed on farms, and the extreme heatwaves make it hard for them to work effectively. The construction and mining sectors have also experienced difficulties due to the high temperatures. Many people have been forced to quit their jobs and settle in other areas with favorable working conditions. High rainfalls can also impact individuals hired in these industries. For instance, mining cannot be exercised during high rains because it becomes risky for the workers. Indoor workers can also be affected by excessive heat. In this case, employees in warehouses and steel plants experience harsh conditions due to high temperatures. Therefore, many workers have also relocated to other areas due to unbearable working conditions experienced due to climate change.
Conclusion
To conclude, climate change in the modern world has led to increased immigration in many countries. The various issues such as floods and hurricanes have made it hard for individuals to live in some regions. Moreover, governments have ensured that citizens’ safety is observed and people living in areas with high chances of experiencing these weather events are evacuated. High temperatures and flooding in many regions have led to poor working conditions, and employees are migrating to other places with excellent working environments. Pest outbreaks and infectious diseases have also forced people to move to other safer regions. Therefore, people should be encouraged to focus on ways that can limit climate change. For instance, pollution is one of the issues that have led to global warming and climate change. Thus, individuals and companies can ensure that they focus on their ecological footprints and guarantee that they limit their greenhouse gases emission. Deforestation should also be prevented since trees play a significant role in purifying the air and preventing global warming. Hence, the various issues involving climate change and immigration should be analyzed by individuals and governments to determine how they can be minimized in society.
References
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