摘要：The term ¡°environmental refugees¡± describes a new kind of mass human casualty
caused by negative ecological impacts during the last decades. It has been estimated that 25 million
environmental refugees are on the move worldwide due to environmental problems, 50 million are left
homeless by cyclones, floods and earthquakes, 90 millions are displaced by infrastructural projects.
These figures are expected to increase sharply in the next few decades due to the impacts of global
warming and the consequence of sea level rise by 2050. Yet, the unfortunate environmental victims are
refused refugee status and are not granted assistance and protection by the international community.
Why is the number of environmental victims on the increase? Why are they left unassisted? Who
should be responsible for what they have been suffered from? What should be done to limit the
hardship being suffered by environmentally displaced people? This paper will attempt to answer
these questions.
关键词：Environmental refugees; environmentally displaced persons; environmental migrants;
globalisation; production and consumption patterns; Kyoto Protocol
