Climate Change and Displaced Persons in the Northern Triangle

Dec 30

Last updated 2021

Experts predict that climate change will lead to massive movement of people across borders, including into the United States. The Northern Triangle — the area including Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras — is one of the regions most vulnerable to climate-related impacts. As one of the world’s greatest emitters of greenhouse gases, the United States has disproportionately contributed to the climate crisis. Given its destabilizing role in the region, the U.S. bears a special responsibility to the people of the Northern Triangle.

In April 2021, the University Network joined Harvard Law School’s Immigration and Refugee Clinic, the Harvard Immigration Project, and the Yale Environmental Law Association to publish Shelter from the Storm. This report – one of the first of its kind – examined key ways in which the United States could amend its existing immigration and refugee policies to respond in a more humane fashion to the increased migration caused by climate change. Drawing on the increasing recognition of the relevance of refugee protections for those fleeing climate change, the paper charts a path forward for a human rights-centered approach to climate change-induced migration for the 21st century.

Shelter from the Storm received coverage in print and broadcast media including Democracy Now!, TruthOut, FastCompany, the Harvard Crimson, and the Yale Daily News. Based on our findings, University Network staff has also advocated for the U.S. government to protect the human rights of those displaced by climate change in the coming decades.