Climate Change, Migration, and Nontraditional Security Threats in China
Publisher: Michael Werz and Lauren Reed, Center for American Progress
Date: 2014
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Prevention, Economic Recovery, Governance
This new report examines the implications of the climate change, migration, and national security nexus in five Chinese hotspots and discusses their impact on domestic and regional policy.
“If China doesn’t manage the risks from climate change and migration effectively, it could have devastating impacts on the economy and trigger security behavior detrimental to U.S. and global interests,” said Michael Werz, Senior Fellow at CAP and co-author of the report.
The report analyzes five climate migration hotspots in China:
- The greater Beijing region: dangerous air quality, extreme water scarcity, sea-level rise in the Yellow River Delta, a population of 20.18 million, and a regional migration hub.
- The Yangtze River Delta region: Shanghai exposed to sea-level rise, urbanization stressing entire delta, water pollution, acid rain, soil pollution, solid waste accumulation, and very high inbound migration.
- The Pearl River Delta region: Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Macau face soil pollution, heavy metal pollution, food contamination, air pollution, soil erosion, sea-level rise, and very high incoming migration.
- The Xinjiang region: one of the unhealthiest regions due to air and water pollution, desertification, and general degradation; region faces persistent unrest as result of Han Chinese influx and clashes with local Uighur Muslims.
- The Chongqing region: industrial mega-city on banks of Yangtze River under heavy environmental and migratory stress; largest source of organic water pollution, concentrated migratory traffic, and 20 percent of the city’s registered population passes through as floating migrants.