Climate change is poised to worsen the refugee crisis badly as people flee floods and fires, as life becomes untenable in places with prolonged droughts, and rising seas swallow low-lying islands.

The suffering of vulnerable people has not always received much attention from the environmental community. 

Instead, there’s a disturbing history of people being displaced in creating parks and protected areas.

As we seek a future in which people and nature coexist harmoniously, today we’ll delve into the refugee crisis and the systems we have in place to resettle refugees from someone who has experienced these firsthand. 

A key theme in today’s conversation—this season’s last episode—is community. Understanding the community in the refugee system will help us welcome refugees warmly and without backlash. It also offers insights into how we might build a community to effect the system change necessary to combat the climate and ecological crisis.

If you want to support the refugee community in BC, donate or volunteer at mosaicbc.org or other local refugee organizations.