By Ruby Melchior, SanDiego350 Member
Climate change disproportionately impacts communities that contribute the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, making climate migration one of the most urgent justice issues of our time. The wealthiest 10% of the global population is responsible for over half of climate-related damages, while the poorest 50% contribute only 7% of emissions. These inequities drive displacement as low income populations face increasing exposure to heatwaves, drought, wildfires, and food insecurity with limited capacity to adapt. California—and particularly San Diego—sits at the center of this crisis, where climate impacts intersect directly with immigration policy and border enforcement.
Climate change functions as a “threat multiplier,” exacerbating poverty, health disparities, and instability. Across the globe, communities that have contributed least to climate change are being forced to migrate, while wealthier populations are able to shield themselves through insurance, infrastructure, and political power. Migration in response to environmental change is not new; it is a natural survival strategy observed across countless animal species. Humans, however, are the only species that criminalizes migration. Climate migrants are frequently treated as lawbreakers rather than people responding rationally to environmental collapse.
In San Diego, climate migration is no longer theoretical. Migrants arriving at the U.S.–Mexico border increasingly cite drought, crop failure, extreme heat, and climate-driven economic collapse as reasons for displacement. Yet U.S.
immigration law does not recognize climate migrants as refugees, leaving many without legal protection. This legal gap turns climate displacement into a humanitarian crisis, where people fleeing environmental harm face detention, deportation, and denial of basic rights.
Climate migration is deeply connected to public health and labor inequities. Low income and immigrant communities in California are disproportionately exposed to wildfire smoke, heat stress, and air pollution, while farmworkers—many of whom are undocumented—face extreme heat, water scarcity, and pesticide exposure with limited access to healthcare or labor protections. These conditions increase vulnerability to displacement while simultaneously restricting the ability to migrate safely.
Addressing climate migration requires solutions that extend beyond emissions reduction alone. Climate finance mechanisms must prioritize adaptation funding for vulnerable and displaced populations, reducing forced migration by increasing resilience. Transportation reform, particularly expanded and electrified public transit in regions like San Diego, is essential for ensuring mobility, access to services, and reduced emissions in low-income communities (San Diego Transportation Equity). Communication strategies are also critical; framing climate change through lived experiences of displacement and migration makes the crisis tangible rather than abstract, encouraging public and political action.
Ultimately, climate justice cannot be achieved without addressing climate migration. Emissions reductions remain essential, but they must be paired with
adaptation, humanitarian protections, and immigration policies that recognize displacement as a consequence of climate change rather than a crime. By integrating climate action with migrant rights and equity-driven planning, California can model a humane and justice-centered response to a rapidly changing world.