Adaptation Working Group agreed on a definition of refugees and the process of accepting them

During the second committee session, the Adaptation committee reached the following decisions regarding designing a new post-2012 architecture for managing climate change, which will be presented in the plenary in the afternoon of the same day:

"The Adaptation Working Group has agreed on a definition of refugees and the process of accepting them. Therefore a new 'Refugee Fund' will be established which will be administered by a neutral party.

Paragraph 1
A permanent climate refugee is defined as everybody who has to move for more than one year, caused by scientific proven climate change effects. These climate change effects are exemplified by a list, which is approved by scientists (a neutral committee for this reason will be assigned by the UNFCCC). If the list needs to be extended by new effects, the UNFCCC will have to acknowledge these factors. Non-permanent climate change refugees are these who have to move for less than one year.
Refugees are distinguished between domestic and non-domestic climate change refugees, depending on the area affected by the climate change effect.

Paragraph 2
Domestic relocation should always be the first option, however, if this is not feasible, non-domestic relocation will be pursued. The costs of this movement are paid by a refugee fund. A new neutral committee will define the costs stemming from a catastrophe on a case-to-case basis. Permanent climate change refugees move to the countries most feasible to them. A neutral committee determines feasibility. Financial incentive is created for hosting countries to take these refugees on board. Exemplary List of climate change effects: (agreed by participating countries)
• Natural catastrophes
• Altered rainfall regimes (floods, desertification, droughts)
• Sea-level rises"

"Very satisfied with the good outcome"
Richard Spreng, Chair of the Adaptation Committee, comments on this: „I am very satisfied with the good outcome of a lively discussion on the very important topic of refugees. In my opinion we have reached an extensive definition of how to proceed with refugees which will help to overcome the problems of the future”.

For more information how the plenary decides see http://barcelonaprotocol.blogspot.com