A window into what we are reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program

Climate Change Worsens Human Trafficking of Impoverished Sierra Leoneans (Al Jazeera)

Poverty leaves many vulnerable to human trafficking in Sierra Leone. Youth unemployment is almost 60% there, and most of the population lives on less than $3 per day. Victims are offered employment, largely in the service industry. Yet when they arrive in their country of employment, their passports may be seized and they are forced into unpaid labor, often coupled with sexual abuse especially for young women.

Climate impacts intensify this tragic cycle. This coastal African nation ranks in the top 10% of countries vulnerable to climate change. One third of its population lives on the coast, where homes are vulnerable to flooding. Experts also note that there has been an increase in the number of people trafficked after their homes were destroyed by floods or mudslides.

Sierra Leone passed a law in 2022 that carries a minimum sentence of 25 years for human trafficking. However, only three people have been convicted, with bribery making a dent in the numbers. Until citizens can rely on a corruption-free justice system, better educating them on what questions to ask when offered a job remains the only present solution.

READ | Old Dangers, New Modes: Climate Change and Human Trafficking

Climate Migration in Arab Nations (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia)

In 2020, Arab nations hosted 15% of the world’s migrant and refugee population, and 32.8 million people were displaced (or migrated) from Arab countries. Simultaneously, extreme weather brought about by climate change has created impacts throughout the region. Droughts, flooding, and storms are driving displacement in several countries, including Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.

A new report lays out a wide range of priority areas to address these challenges. The study advocates for the protection of migrant workers, women, and children—as well as their inclusion in society—when considering climate-induced migration. Further, it highlights the role that food insecurity plays in migration, as well as discussing why rural-to-urban migration is so prevalent.

Several policy recommendations are at the core of the new report. Investing in data and research, advocacy and mainstreaming efforts, and institutional development will highlight the issue at an international scale. Adopting perspectives that are sensitive to gender, age, and disability while including the needs of migrant workers in programming also is necessary to fully address climate-induced migration challenges . And, finally, protecting food security is a key way to tackle a core driver of displacement.

READ | Tackling Challenges in the MENA Region: Climate, Food Security, and Migration

African Natural Gas Development Could Pose a Climate Challenge (Washington Post)

The discovery of a massive natural gas deposit by an American energy company in 2015 has turned Senegal into one of Africa’s biggest potential producers. It is part of a growing trend. Africa has been home to 40% of natural gas discoveries between 2010-2020. It is no surprise, therefore, that European leaders have looked towards Africa to replace the energy resources lost after  Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

In Senegal, 30% of the population lacks access to electricity. Thus, natural gas projects do have the potential to be life-changing for many, both in that country and throughout Africa. Senegal’s President Macky Sall is among the leaders who argue that developed countries whose industrialization was made possible by fossil fuels should not stop developing nations from using their own new-found resources. He also argues natural gas use is necessary to phase out oil—a much more harmful fossil fuel.

Yet while natural gas emits less CO2 than oil and coal, it does pose significant challenges to the green transition. In addition, natural gas production may not directly benefit those who need it the most. For instance, fishermen have been barred from using waters and agricultural fields may be dug up to access gas reserves – potentially devastating for many people’s livelihoods.

READ | Avoiding the Resource Curse in East Africa’s Oil and Natural Gas Boom