Refugee camps can wreak enormous environmental damages – should source countries be liable for them?
While it may seem that much of the world has been locked down during the past pandemic year, more than 80 million people are currently on the move – unwillingly.
Facing conflict in Syria, human rights violations in Myanmar and violence in Eritrea, among other hot spots, refugees are trying to relocate to North America and Western Europe, or at least to neighboring countries.
Large camps of displaced persons can wreak major environmental damage. Refugees use and pollute water, deplete wood supplies for fuel, and poach animals for food, often harming parks, nature reserves and World Heritage Sites. These impacts make host countries less willing to receive more refugees.