College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University DigitalCommons@CSB/SJU

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day Undergraduate Research

4-23-2020

"When Home Won't Let You Stay:" How is Driving Migration in

Alejandra Gallardo College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University, [email protected]

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Recommended Citation Gallardo, Alejandra, ""When Home Won't Let You Stay:" How Climate Change is Driving Migration in Central America" (2020). Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day. 102. https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/ur_cscday/102

This Poster is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@CSB/SJU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@CSB/ SJU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. “WHEN HOME WON’T LET YOU STAY:” ALEJANDRA GALLARDO FACULTY ADVISOR: JEAN LAVIGNE HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS DRIVING SPRING 2020 CENTRAL AMERICAN MIGRATION SENIOR THESIS

INTRODUCTION METHODS

• Climate change acts as a “threat multiplier” that Original research — Central American amplifies social issues and inequities Delegation Trip:

• As the impacts of climate change worsen, we expect to I collected a week’s worth of fieldnotes from 1 my participation in a delegation trip in see a greater number of people migrating Map Legend November 2019 with a grassroots organization • -dependent communities have already experienced deepening poverty with recent warming in Minneapolis called COPAL MN (Comunidades Organizando el Poder y La • Migrants are some of the most vulnerable people because Acción Latina). The delegation explored the of their lack of access to social and financial capital impacts of climate-related displacement • The ideology behind “climate refugees” is problematic… through meetings and dialogue with civil How do we change that narrative? society organizations, municipal officials, and families at the frontlines of displacement. Research question: To what extent does climate change Community narratives were constructed Figure 2. Map of the Salvadoran and Honduran communities featured in the following testimonies. Map created by author via GoogleMaps. influence human migration in Central America? based on testimonies by respective region. Picture 1. “Environmental Justice” poster art by Ricardo Levins Morales, 2006. CENTRAL AMERICAN DRY CORRIDOR The Dry Corridor — the tropical dry forest region on the Pacific side of Central GUAPINOL, America — is characterized by its irregular rainfall and extended four-month dry “you only run for the border season. These regions (mainly , , Honduras, and ) POLLUTION • “The river was like chocolate water,” says Juana. when you see the whole city running as well” are highly susceptible to climate change. • Mining corporation, Inversiones Pinares, dumps From “Home,” poem by Warsan Shire wastes in the Guapinol River

• Water became unusable for those living downstream of the mining operations

Source: https://aida-americas.org/en/blog/t%C3%A1rcoles- most-contaminated-river-central-america CONCLUSION

CONFLICT • Environmental migration is multicausal • “They raped our women, beat civilians – and if we tried to interfere – we’d get death threats, • Climate change cannot be isolated as a sole kidnapped, tortured, and killed,” says Leonel George, a human rights organizer from Tocoa driver of migration, but it does act as threat • Police wounded locals in the struggle for land multiplier that exacerbates the intensity of Central American and defense of the territory Dry Corridor rainfall and temperature in the dry corridor Source: https://www.trt.net.tr/portuguese/mundo/2018/10/28/conflito-entre -a-policia-e-manifestantes-perto-da-casa-presidencial-de-honduras-1076970

• Currently, there are no international Figure 2. Map of the Central American dry corridor from Women’s Environment and Development Organi- zation’s 2019 Report on Climate Migration. Data Source: CIAT, World Bank and UNEP (1999). WATER SCARCITY frameworks or processes being implemented to • Per capita water availability in the dry corridor is projected to decrease in coming decades NUEVO GUALCHO, EL SALVADOR protect climate-displaced people • Water scarcity will amplify conflict in communities like Guapinol, especially without • • In 2015, drought cost nearly $100 million in lost Testimonies of conflict with national police corn and bean harvests2 regulation on extractive companies coincide with narratives of Indigenous people • Increased irregularity and unpredictability of

extreme weather events Photo by author. Painted rocks along the Guapinol riverbed, and water protectors around the world with a reading “Don’t dump trash” and “Water is life.” • Narrowing of the wet season and decrease in river priority to protect the interest of extractive levels in the past 10 years

Photo by Jose Cabezas for Reuters. Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us- el-salvador-drought/el-salvador-declares-emergency-to-ensure-food-supply-in- “The tears on my cheeks, multinationals during the severe-drought-idUSKBN1KE338

• "Agriculture doesn't get abandoned because it's agriculture, it Is the only water for miles… JOB INSECURITY gets abandoned because of the conditions [in the countryside], and that's what we need to transform," says Wilfredo Rubio, I don’t know if I’ll be happy there, adviser to the minister of agriculture in El Salvador.3 but I’m not safe here.” REFERENCES • High rates of migration in youth populations because they seek 1 Oli Brown, "Migration and Climate Change," in IOM Migration Research Series (Geneva, Switzerland, 2008), 9. education and employment in urban areas From “Running from the Sun,” poem by Líadh Robertson 2 PHYS ORG. “Drought Causes $100 Million in Crop Losses in El Salvador.” PHYS ORG, 2015. https://phys.org/news/2015-08-drought-million-crop-losses-el.html 3 Gies, Heather. “El Salvador's Disappearing Farmers.” Al Jazeera News, 2018. https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/el-salvadors-disappearing-farmers- Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/el-salvadors- disappearing-farmers-180911145112205.html 180911145112205.html