Essay Contest Winners

Columbia University School of General Studies , Undergraduate

"A Looming Crisis: Does International Human Rights Law Address the Status and Protection of Climate Refugees?"

Abstract

Amidst the ongoing refugee crisis and the looming threat of a global climate migration catastrophe, a substantial body of legal scholarship has emerged, focusing on the concepts of "climate refugees" and "climate refugee status" within the framework of international and human rights law. This paper explores the ongoing discussion among legal scholars regarding the entitlement of "climate refugees" to statehood in nations that bear responsibility for climate change, the challenges of categorizing climate-induced displacement, and the ability of existing legal frameworks to address forthcoming challenges. Despite advocacy by scholars, activists, and governments for the safeguarding of populations at risk due to climate change, the issue of climate refugee status under international human rights law remains contentious. This essay argues that current international law lacks explicit provisions for the protection or designation of climate refugees. However, it posits that innovative legal and political mechanisms may offer states viable avenues to tackle the complexities of climate migration and internal displacement. The paper advocates for the establishment of more binding regional agreements as the optimal course of action to respond to and prepare for climate displacement, presenting a pathway toward a more comprehensive legal solution that protects human rights.

Columbia College, Undergraduate

The Gender Dimension of Migration as Climate Change Adaptation Strategy: A Case Study of Pakistan

Abstract

This essay argues that urbanization in Pakistan is a form of climate change adaptation that should be facilitated as a way to mitigate risk and diversify agricultural incomes. Pakistan's blanket policy of curbing rural-to-urban migration ignores the complex drivers of this migration and effective adaptation strategies. National policy must recognize and address the fact that internal migration is as a dynamic process that is being exacerbated by slow-onset drought. Furthermore, current migration practices are highly linked with gendered labor practices that stratify women into low-paid, vulnerable sectors. Pakistan’s climate policy should encourage and facilitate this urbanization rather than fear it, and given the existing structures of patriarchy present in rural areas, policy must ensure that women are a focus.