In times of peak violence, countries providing asylum to war victims must initiate sustainable living plans. They have to maintain a balance between humanitarian duties and ecological responsibilities
Images of three-year old Aylan Kurdi, whose body was found lying on a Turkish beach, served as a wake up call for the world, to acknowledge the miseries suffered by the refugees. Aylan was not the lone victim, his mother Rehan and 10 other refugees too lost their lives, when their boat capsized as they were trying to reach the Greek island of Kos.
The family was forced to flee from Kobane in Syria, due to the repeated attacks by the Islamic State. The incident tugged at the conscience of the international community and galvanised nations to act in the interest of humanity. Germany for instance, has offered to take in 5,00,000 refugees a year, with other nations offering best assistance possible.
Violence and strife are at its peak, with nine civil wars going on in the Islamic countries. This accompanied by extremist violence perpetrated by the IS is triggering a mass exodus of refugees who urgently need shelter and solace in the neighbouring nations. And this is where the delicate balance of natural resources is challenged, unless the countries offering support and assistance are suitably prepared.
In these times, every nation is besieged by problems of worsening environmental conditions and scarce natural resources. Countries that are providing asylum to the refugees must initiate sustainable plans for providing relief and support, that is long-term and help avoid environmental challenges due to the sudden spike in demand for resources.
Environment-specific policies and regulations that seek to preserve nature, ecological balance and biodiversity are crucial amid unexpected events such as the refugee influx. These policies and regulations can help the countries to maintain a delicate balance between their humanitarian duties and yet, discharge their responsibilities towards the environment. This in turn, helps in avoiding problems associated with over-exploitation and mismanagement of natural resources, which are one of the primary causes, why some nations hesitate in providing refugee relief. But with proper planning and preparation, this can be avoided.
Environmental and natural resource related factors are crucial in ensuring an effective asylum to the refugees, as the impact of environmental deterioration on the refugees themselves is intense. For instance, low-quality water can collectively affect the health of the migrants leading to a high risk of infectious diseases multiplying rapidly.
On the other hand, the sudden pressure to locate firewood not only causes rapid deforestation but also forces women and children to venture out further for wood putting their safety in peril. Worsening conditions may also force the migrants to sell a part of their food rations in order to obtain the fuel needed to cook the remainder, contributing to increased levels of malnutrition.
Host residents too experience a similar deterioration in the quality of environment due to shortage in material for construction and fuel supply. This is worsened by frequent price rise for fuel and food items resulting inevitably in tensions, since a host of the population is currently made to bear many of the costs of the arrival of refugees in their area without immediate compensation.
Refugee camps often pose a foremost challenge towards their immediate surroundings due to their large size owing to both logistical and political reasons. In fact, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees acknowledges that refugee camps often lead to environmental degradation and natural resource depletion both within and around the settlements.
However, these large camps can have a comparatively lesser negative impact on the environment if they are divided into several considerably smaller camps, catering for the same total numbers. In order to nullify environmental impact, locations of these camps can be in non-eco sensitive areas. For instance, in Africa, refugees have been usually settled in semi-cultivated and agriculturally marginal areas.
Improved consultation mechanism between international agencies, local authorities, national Government and refugees representatives can serve the twin purpose of securing an amicable relationship with the local host population as well as protect and preserve the quality of environment.
Countries must also deploy technology to collect continuous data on the status of environment, especially the condition of natural resources in the area that has been allotted for refugee camps. The data can in later stages help to rejuvenate the area and restore the land to its former condition. Technology can also help in developing eco-friendly and sustainable shelters for the migrants that are recyclable and a viable alternative to wood based structures.
Global conflicts will continue to force people to seek refuge in the neighbouring countries or in other parts of their own country, which will undoubtedly affect both the natural environment and the people living in these areas. A dual sensitivity towards the fellow human being and mother nature is essential to ensure that humanity is upheld in conformity with nature.