I. Why should you teach about climate change, climate migration, and their health impacts in your classroom?

A – Climate Migration

Human-driven (anthropogenic) climate change affects weather conditions, increasing the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme weather events (heatwaves, storms, floods, droughts…). According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, over 20 million people worldwide were forced to relocate as a result of storms, floods, droughts, and wildfires in 2023, though even this seems mild compared to the 31 million internal displacements of this kind that occurred in 20221. Forest fires in western Canada and northern Québec forced almost 185,000 people out of their homes in 20232, for instance. In 2024, the remnants of hurricane Debby brought torrential rains to southern Québec, leading many to evacuate and causing serious damage to homes and infrastructure in the area.

In some places—like Kiribati, where water levels are rising and submerging coastlines—climate change is a direct cause of migration. Most of the time, however, its effects are felt indirectly. Climate change is but one of many factors (such as political, social, and economic pressures)3 that lead people to migrate, which makes it difficult to identify those who could be described specifically as climate migrants. To this day, climate migrants are not officially or legally recognized as such, making it difficult for them to move around internationally4. Though climate-induced and environmental displacement have always been a part of historical human migration patterns5, there is not yet a precise legal definition or status for “climate migrants.” Those who are forced to leave their home as a result of climate change are thus without status and must apply for immigration to a foreign country within another legal category (refugee, asylum seeker, temporary worker, etc.). More and more people believe that those who choose to leave their home as a result of climate change deserve access to safe and regular pathways to do so6. Other options, such as allowing those who do not wish to or cannot leave (due to a disability or low income) to stay where they are, should also be considered7.

It is important to note that most climate migration occurs within the borders of a single state (see the illustrated story about flooding in the West Island of Montréal, for example). It is, however, expected that transnational migration will increase, particularly for populations in border-adjacent or conflict-prone regions8, both of which heighten one’s risk of displacement. Finally, we should underline that countries most affected by climate migration are the developing nations of the Global South that have historically contributed the least to global warming. This is an issue for what is now called climate justice.

B – The effects of climate change (and migration) on human health

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to population health. In 2022, Health Canada published an (872-page!) report on the health effects of climate change—an accessible overview is available here9. Beyond direct impacts on their physical health, many people who experience extreme weather events may develop mental health issues, including depression and/or post-traumatic stress10.

In addition, we must remember that people who are forced to leave their home and migrate, even temporarily or provisionally, may face circumstances that expose them to mental and physical health risks. The conditions they face while travelling as well as at their point of arrival may be difficult: restricted access to healthcare and social services; restricted or insufficient means of subsistence (water, food); (physical or psychological) trauma as a result of dangerous or forced displacement, and many others11. These vulnerabilities are worsened by the stigma and discrimination faced (especially, but not exclusively) by international migrants,as is explained in Section III.

Learn more

Our interactive Climigrant project aims to provide educational resources and raise awareness regarding climate change, climate migration, and health. With this in mind, the main objective of the project is to promote solidarity and acceptance towards migrants. The website features various creative resources, including illustrated stories (in English and in French) about flooding in the West Island of Montréal, rising water levels in Kiribati, and the effects of Hurricane Maria in Dominica. These stories explore the basic social, ethical, legal, and health ramifications of climate migration, underlining the complexity of the issue and the interdisciplinary and holistic perspectives we must adopt to understand it. We have also recorded two podcasts (in French) about climate migration, more specifically regarding migrants in vulnerable situations and the services available to them.

Additionally, we also offer an interdisciplinary online course for those who would like to learn more about key concepts relating to climate change, climate migration, and their health impacts. The course was designed primarily for researchers, students, decision-makers, service workers, clinicians, nurses, and healthcare practitioners as well as other concerned parties, but is accessible to all those interested. All course contents are available for free, and registration is fast and easy. It is not necessary to complete the course in its entirety, nor do its sections and references need to be accessed in any particular order.

  1. IDMC (2024). Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID 2024). https://www.internal-displacement.org/global-report/grid2024/.
  2. Ibidem.
  3. L. Huang (2023). “Climate Migration 101: An Explainer,” Migration Policy Institute. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/climate-migration-101-explainer.
  4. Ibidem.
  5. Ibidem.
  6. International Organization for Migration (2023). Thinking About Tomorrow, Acting Today: The Future of Climate Mobility. https://publications.iom.int/books/thinking-about-tomorrow-acting-today-future-climate-mobility.
  7. Ibidem.
  8. M. Prange (2022). “Climate Change Is Fueling Migration. Do Climate Migrants Have Legal Protections?” Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/climate-change-fueling-migration-do-climate-migrants-have-legal-protections.
  9. P. Berry and R. Schnitter (eds.) (2022). Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate, Health Canada. https://changingclimate.ca/site/assets/uploads/sites/5/2022/02/CCHA-REPORT-EN.pdf.
  10. Ibidem, Chapter 4.
  11. WHO (2024). Refugee and Migrant Health. https://www.who.int/health-topics/refugee-and-migrant-health.