Existing International Laws and its Insufficiency in the Protection of Climate Refugees: The Need for an Alternative Legal Paradigm

The global climate crisis poses significant challenges to existing international legal frameworks, particularly in the realm of protecting climate refugees. As the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and desertification, intensify, the number of individuals displaced by environmental factors is expected to surge. The inadequacies of existing international laws in addressing climate refugees are further highlighted by the lack of comprehensive international agreements on the issue. The need for an alternative legal paradigm becomes apparent when considering the scale and complexity of the climate refugee crisis. Such a paradigm must go beyond the current refugee law framework to encompass the unique protection needs of individuals displaced by environmental factors. It should also address the root causes of climate change and promote sustainable development and environmental conservation as means to mitigate the displacement of individuals in the future. The development of such an alternative legal paradigm will require international cooperation and the engagement of various stakeholders, including governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and academics. By working together, the international community can develop innovative legal solutions that better protect climate refugees and promote sustainable development in the face of the global climate crisis. The work adopted a doctrinal legal research method for the purpose of review of the existing international laws on the protection of climate refugees. This was done in order to identify the existing gaps and make recommendations that would guide or prompt the convention of international summit to addressing the challenge.