Rising Temperatures, Rising Terror

Climate-related natural disasters linked to risk of human trafficking

Maddie Stout, Editor-in-Chief

Our oceans are becoming more acidic. Our glaciers are shrinking. Our coral reefs are disappearing. Our planet is changing drastically, but Earth itself is not the only thing affected by climate change. No, global rights is more than an environmental issue – it’s a human rights problem.

As greenhouse gasses continue to flow into the atmosphere, the possibility and frequency of extreme weather events continues to rise. Over the past 50 years, climate and weatherrelated disasters have increased by five times, and this is only increasing, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

With this comes the inevitable destruction of homes, water sources and food sources, all of which are listed by the United Nations in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These disasters displace millions of people, forcing them to move to new cities or countries and abandon their previous lives. Not only does this affect the economy, it can also lead to human trafficking.

What is human trafficking?

Often referred to as a form of modern-day slavery, the Department of Homeland Security defines human trafficking as “the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.”

While common in all parts of the world, human trafficking is especially prevalent in areas of lower economic status, as traffickers often target individuals seeking support, such as shelter, food or money.

Human trafficking can be divided into two categories: labor trafficking and sex trafficking. Labor trafficking forces an individual into a service or area of work, including agriculture, food service and construction, although it can and does occur in every industry imaginable, according to the Polaris Project.

Sex trafficking, as defined by Shared Hope International, occurs when one is forced to perform a sexual act in exchange for an item of value.

Climate change connection

Since traffickers often search for individuals with low self-value or in need of support, those displaced by natural disasters are often an ideal target for trafficking. In many instances, entering labor or sex trafficking is the fastest, most accessible way to make money in an unfamiliar environment.

Already, this problem has impacted millions around the world. According to a report from the International Institute for Environment and Development and Anti-Slavery International, a drought in northern Ghana led many young men and women to migrate to major cities. There, many of the women began working as porters, putting them at high risk for trafficking, sexual exploitation and debt bondage, The Guardian reported.

In Bangladesh, a similar situation occurred: following severe cyclones that reduced the amount of land available for farming, traffickers began targeting widows and men wanting to cross the border into India to find employment and income. Trafficking victims were often forced into hard labor and prostitution, according to The Guardian.

Bernard Ferguson, a journalist from the Bahamas, returned to his home country following Hurricane Dorian for a story in The New York Times Magazine. Ferguson found that in addition to the detriment to the actual land, the people of the Bahamas faced many consequences.

“The landscape is forever changed, but what’s most terrifying for me is the effect Dorian had on people’s psyches,” Ferguson said. “In the aftermath,

If you really want to help people “ suffering from climate disasters, become more aware about them.”

- Journalist Bernard Ferguson

people feel no hope, so they’re putting themselves in situations they otherwise wouldn’t be in.”

Consequences

As a whole, human trafficking is a billion-dollar criminal enterprise – people are bought and sold at a rate second only to drugs, CBS DFW reported. However, unlike narcotics, human beings are “reusable”: one person can be exploited time and time again, making them far more valuable as a currency.

While human trafficking can be extremely lucrative to those profiting from it, the practice has a major negative impact on the world economy due to the significant loss of human and social capital. Additionally, the physical wellbeing of trafficking victims is obviously negatively impacted. Victims report serious consequences to their mental health such as anxiety, depression and a numbness or detachment from feelings and social interaction, the UT Austin Institute on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault reported.

There could be as many as 250 million climate refugees by 2050, according to The Revelator. A study from 2016 warned that as much as one-eighth of the world’s population – around 1.4 billion people – could be forced over 600 miles from their homes due to rising natural disasters.

Considering the risk these displaced people have for entering trafficking, it is likely that climate change will infringe on the human rights of millions in the future.

Ritu Bharadwaj, a researcher for the International Institute for Environment and Development, calls on world leaders to address the connection between climate change and human rights in The Guardian.

“The world cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking that’s being fuelled by climate change,” Bharadawaj said. “Addressing these issues needs to be part and parcel of global plans to tackle climate change.”

As for addressing the problem on a local level, Ferguson said the most important thing people in the United States can do is spread awareness.

“If you really want to help people suffering from climate disasters, become more aware about them,” Ferguson said. “They’re not talked about in the United States, and that’s on purpose.”