ENVIRONMENTAL REFUGE: GLOBAL LEGAL RECOGNITION AND ITS PROPOSALS, ACTIVITIES OF LATIN AMERICA AND PROTECTION MECHANISMS

Abstract

"Environmental refugees" are individuals forced to migrate due to environmental events caused by natural causes or anthropic interference, such as disasters, weather conditions, earthquakes, catastrophes, among others. However, this group of persons is not formally recognized in international law because it is not included in the list established by the 1951 UN Convention and 1967 Protocol. However, much has been debated as to the inclusion of such persons in the category of refugee and it does not materialize, it discusses the pre-existing and necessary mechanisms to guarantee adequate protection to this group of people. Thus, through the work presented here, the general objective is to analyze the importance of recognizing the category of "environmental refugees" in order to address the actions of the Latin American countries regarding their protection, international treaties, as well as presenting legal protection measures to the category. As for the methodology, it is a bibliographical and documentary research, descriptive, of qualitative and quantitative approach, of theoretical and empirical nature. Finally, the research shows that there is a need for global recognition of "environmental refugees", as well as immediate, global environmental-migration governance to guarantee adequate protection until there is a specific and mandatory legal instrument that regulates the theme.