ABSTRACT
According to the United Nations (UN)’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, more frequent and severe disasters may be “the new normal” (Holmes 2008). On top of this, the slower-onset impacts of climate change, such as temperature rises, glacial melt, drought and sea-level rise, may ultimately force people away from their homes. Nuclear and industrial accidents, such as that witnessed in Japan in 2011, especially when combined with natural hazards, pose further risks to people’s lives and livelihoods. Communal violence and civil strife continue to be major drivers of displacement, often on a large scale.
