Mohammadpur has always had a unique relationship with the weather. Located at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal, this coastal village was built on top of the Meghna River delta. Deltas are a kind of landmass formed when sediment carried by rivers is deposited where that river meets a larger body of water. River deltas are incredibly fertile ecosystems capable of supporting abundant agriculture and marine life. However, their borders gradually change as rivers bring more sediment in and storms wash sediment away. The residents of Mohammadpur are well accustomed to managing the ebbs and flows of this ever-shifting landscape. But lately, an abundance of intense cyclones have caused frequent flooding that impedes farming and fishing. These floods also erode the coastline, allowing later storms to wipe away land altogether. Since 2000, the Meghna River has overtaken the coastline by 2.5 kilometers, forcing many villagers to move inland or to nearby cities.
莫哈馬德普爾和天氣 一直有著很獨特的關係。 位在孟加拉灣的灣口, 這個海岸村落建造在 梅克納河三角洲上。 三角洲是種大片的陸地, 形成原因是河流遇到更大的水體時, 其所攜帶的沉積物會沉澱下來。 河流三角洲是非常豐沃的生態系統, 可以維持大量的農業和海洋生命。 然而,三角洲的邊界會漸漸改變, 因為河流會帶來更多沉積物, 暴風雨則會把沉積物沖走。 莫哈馬德普爾的居民很習慣處理 這塊不斷變化的地景的消長。 但,最近 大量強大的氣旋經常造成洪水, 影響到農、漁業。 這些洪水也侵蝕了海岸線, 讓後續的暴風雨能把土地一起帶走。 2000 年起,梅克納河已經 侵襲了 2.5 公里的海岸線, 迫使許多村民搬到 內陸或鄰近的城市。
Mohammadpur isn’t the only place where erratic weather is impacting people’s mobility. Repeated typhoons in the Philippines have displaced thousands from their homes. In Fiji, the government is already moving many coastal villages inland to get ahead of predicted land loss. And in the United States, melting permafrost is causing chunks of the Alaskan coastline to erode.
除了莫哈馬德普爾,其他地方 亦會發生不穩定的天氣 影響到人民的移動性。 菲律賓不斷遇到颱風, 讓數以千計的人搬離家園。 在斐濟,政府已經將 許多海岸村落遷至內陸, 提早為預期的土地縮減做準備。 在美國, 永久凍土層融解讓大塊的 阿拉斯加海岸被侵蝕掉。
In some ways, this is nothing new. Humanity has always adapted to changing weather and moved to regions that best support cultural lifestyles and livelihoods. However, scientists agree that this rise in extreme weather is a by-product of Earth’s rapidly changing climate. Global warming increases the frequency and intensity of storms, flooding and drought, while also melting polar ice caps and raising sea levels.
在某些層面上,這現象並不是新的。 人類一直會適應不斷改變的天氣, 搬遷到最能維持其文化之 生活方式和生計的地方。 然而,科學家認為 極端天氣越來越多, 是地球氣候快速改變的副產物。 全球暖化增加了暴風雨、 洪水,和乾旱的頻率和強度, 同時也讓北極冰帽融化, 讓海平面上升。
These factors are changing the environment much faster than they have in the past. Even for communities with the resources to take action, the variable pace and nature of these changes makes them difficult to adapt to. And the vulnerable populations most impacted by climate change are often those least responsible. Many facing climate mobility live in farming and fishing communities in countries that generate dramatically fewer emissions than their larger counterparts.
這些因子改變環境的 速度比以往更快。 即便是有資源可以採取行動的社區, 這些改變的多變步調和本質, 仍讓他們很難適應。 而受到氣候變遷影響最大的脆弱族群 通常都是最不需要負責的族群。 許多因氣候而得搬移的人, 都居住在農、漁業社區, 且所屬國家所產生的排放都遠少於 其他更大的國家。
Bangladesh is one such country. The nation has a unique combination of low-lying geography and heavily populated coastal regions. Most of these vulnerable coastal families, like those in Mohammadpur, don’t want to abandon their homes and livelihoods. And for others, leaving Bangladesh isn’t financially practical. So to stay with their communities, many have moved a few meters inland and built more resilient homes on higher ground or elevated stilts. Others have tried to buy land on newly emerging islands in the delta, while some have sent family members to find work in nearby cities. A handful of individuals might even cross international borders, if they have family, friends, or work connections on the other side. But many of the residents who’ve left are eager to return home. Unfortunately, it's unclear when weather extremes will die down, and the government has repeatedly delayed projects to build concrete embankments that would prevent further erosion.
孟加拉就是其中一例。 該國有個獨特的組合:地勢很低, 以及沿岸地區的人口眾多。 大部分這類易受影響的沿岸家庭, 如莫哈馬德普爾的家庭, 並不想拋棄他們的家園和生計。 對其他人而言,從財務角度來看, 離開孟加拉並不實際。 所以,為了留在社區中, 許多人只是向內陸搬移了幾公尺, 在較高處建造更具韌性的 住房或者把住房架高。 其他人則嘗試購買三角洲 新出現的島嶼上的土地, 有些人則是派家人 到鄰近的城市找工作。 不少人可能還會跨越國界, 因為他們在邊界的另一邊有 家人、朋友,或工作人脈。 但許多離開家園的居民迫切想返鄉。 不幸的是,不知道何時 極端天氣才會減輕, 而政府又不斷延遲 能預防進一步侵蝕的堤岸建設計畫。
In other parts of the world, people couldn’t move inland even if they wanted to. The low-lying Pacific Island nations of Kiribati and Tuvalu are only 811 square kilometers and 26 square kilometers, respectively; so migration would mean moving to a different country altogether. Instead, their governments and citizens have united in physically, legally, and politically fortifying their countries. Island residents are planting coastal mangrove forests, and building up low-lying areas of land with dredged sand to shield themselves against storms and rising sea levels. And the islands’ governments have repeatedly lobbied on the global stage for countries with the highest emissions to reduce pollution and take responsibility for climate change.
在世界上其他地方, 有人就算想要搬到內陸也沒辦法。 吉里巴斯和吐瓦魯 是地勢很低的太平洋島國, 國土大小分別只有 811 平方公里和 26 平方公里。 所以,遷移的意思 就是要搬到另一個國家。 反之,它們的政府和人民 在實體上、法律上,及政治上 團結合作,強化其國家。 島民在沿岸種植紅樹林, 挖掘海沙將地勢低的地區建高, 協助他們抵禦暴風雨 和上升的海平面。 這些島嶼的政府一直不斷 在國際場合遊說, 希望排放最高的國家能減少污染, 並為氣候變遷負起責任。
The challenges facing each coastal community are unique, and the diversity of the people's experiences can make climate mobility a difficult phenomenon to measure and define. But as new communities are endangered by extreme weather, it’s more important than ever to listen to those on the front lines of this crisis.
每個沿岸社區所面臨的挑戰 都是獨一無二的, 且人的經驗十分多樣化, 讓氣候造成的移動現象 很難測量也很難定義。 然而隨著更多社區 開始受到極端天氣威脅, 現在比之前更重要的事, 是要聆聽身在危機最前線的人。