Preparing for Climate Migration

Billions of people will have to relocate in the next decades. Are governments prepared?

2 minute read

November 27, 2024, 8:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Environmentalism

Heidi Besen / Shutterstock

As climate disasters make some parts of the world increasingly unlivable, billions of people — an estimated 3.5 billion by 2070 — will have to relocate to safer ground.

As Ayana Elizabeth Johnson explains in a piece for Wired, “To date, most climate migration has occurred within nations, but as the regions affected by extreme weather expand, that will need to change.”

We will have to be vigilant about keeping xenophobia at bay, acknowledging the cruel injustice at play as the lowest greenhouse gas emitting nations, like the Pacific islands, are the first to be inundated.

Johnson notes that governments at all levels are starting to take note, creating policies such as relocation buyouts and limiting new developments in risky areas. To prepare for relocating its residents once sea levels make the island unlivable, the government of the South Pacific nation of Kiribati purchased land in Fiji.

“Already, 11 percent of Americans have considered moving to avoid the impacts of global warming, and roughly 75 percent are hesitant to buy homes in areas with high climate risks like wildfires (more than 30 million homes in the lower 48 US states are at risk of being hit with wildfires).” Meanwhile, insurance companies are hiking rates or pulling out of certain areas altogether.

As Johnson points out, governments will need proactive policies to manage the climate migration that will become a fact of life. “It’s not that people want to move, to leave the communities and ecosystems they love and call home; it's that they must.”

Tuesday, November 26, 2024 in Wired

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

White Waymo autonomous car driving fast down city street with blurred background at night.

Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars

Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.

4 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Two small wooden one-story homes in Florida with floodwaters at their doors.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?

With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

6 hours ago - Governing

People riding bicycles on separated bike trail.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike

For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

June 16 - UNM News