Professor Says Climate Change Refugees Likely

Buy an ad on DigitalJournal.com

Climate change refugees would appear on the shores of Canada and other rich nations as their home countries experience the effects of climate change.

Professor Peter Penz, of York University's Faculty of Environmental Studies issued this warning at an immigration conference..

"We can expect some immigration impact from climate change," said Penz.

"All these people who were displaced in Myanmar are refugees somewhere."

The conference which was held at York University immigration conference and Penz informed those attending that catastrophes such as May's cyclone Nargis that rocked Myanmar, killing 90,000 and leaving 56,000 missing, or 2004's Asian tsunami that killed 225,000 people in 11 countries, can displace refugees to countries worldwide.

"These are climate change events and I don't expect flotillas of refugees arriving at our shores and making refugee claims," he told the immigration and refugee workers, adding areas closest to the disaster will receive the most claimants.

Penz was one of the 130 delegates who came from from across the country to attend the four-day conference that wrapped up in Toronto Wednesday. The plight of refugees hand the celebration of World Refugee Day were the conference's focal points.