Mémoire
| Résumé : | This dissertation explores the issue of environmental migration and aims to understand to what extent environmental migrants are protected in international law. The purpose of the research is to underline the need to recognize all those who are negatively affected by climate change, and it moves from the consideration that guaranteeing protection means acknowledging the particular condition of an individual.Building from the framework offered by the Green Theory, the research assesses at first the entity of environmental migrations in the Sahel region, focusing on Ethiopia and Senegal. Here, thanks to a review of the scientific literature and qualitative interviews, the main drivers of environmental migration are identified, as well as the fundamental human rights threatened or violated as a consequence of environmental degradation. The agricultural populations are the most affected by climate change-related concerns, as they are highly dependent on natural resources. Thus, environmental change may lead to displacement, as a result of increased drought and desertification, rising sea levels, and more severe natural catastrophes. Here, among others, the right to food, water, health and housing are violated and hundreds of people are forced to move.Through the analysis of international refugee law, a focus on internally displaced persons provisions, international environmental law and international human rights law, the research determines that these tools fail to provide protection to environmental migrants, as they are not adequately equipped to include elements related to environmental degradation in order to guarantee access to the protective measures. Because of this, it is possible to claim that environmental migrants are not protected internationally. However, it is concluded that international environmental law has the potential to represent a forum for discussion, especially in relation to the control of the impact of human actions on the environment, and consequently the impact of environmental change on the very existence of several populations. In this regard, it will be necessary to take into consideration not only those who, for reasons related to environmental degradation and changes, decide or are coerced to migrate, while also those who remain trapped without chances to escape. |
