Where will you be able to live in 20 years? - Carol Farbotko and Ingrid Boas

翻译人员: Meiqi Jia 校对人员: Helen Chang

Mohammadpur has always had a unique relationship with the weather.

穆罕默德布尔与天气 总是有一种特别的关系。

Located at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal,

坐落在孟加拉湾的河口，

this coastal village was built on top of the Meghna River delta.

这个沿海小镇建于 梅克纳河三角洲之上。

Deltas are a kind of landmass formed when sediment carried by rivers

三角洲是河流流入海洋时， 因所携带泥沙大量沉积，

is deposited where that river meets a larger body of water.

逐渐发展成的冲积平原。

River deltas are incredibly fertile ecosystems

河流三角洲有着非常富饶的生态系统，

capable of supporting abundant agriculture and marine life.

足以支持大量的农作物与海洋生物。

However, their borders gradually change as rivers bring more sediment in

但是由于河流携带更多的沉积物， 同时风暴冲刷走沉积物，

and storms wash sediment away.

导致边界的变化。

The residents of Mohammadpur are well accustomed to managing

穆罕默德布尔的居民已经适应了与这个

the ebbs and flows of this ever-shifting landscape.

不停变化的景观并存。

But lately, an abundance of intense cyclones have caused frequent flooding

但是最近大量的强旋风 导致了频繁的洪水，

that impedes farming and fishing.

阻碍了农业与捕鱼。

These floods also erode the coastline,

这些洪水腐蚀了海岸线，

allowing later storms to wipe away land altogether.

让后续的风暴冲刷走整块地。

Since 2000, the Meghna River has overtaken the coastline by 2.5 kilometers,

自2000年起，梅克纳 已经超过海岸线2.5 千米，

forcing many villagers to move inland or to nearby cities.

大量村民被迫搬到内陆或临近的城市。

Mohammadpur isn’t the only place where erratic weather

穆罕默德布尔并不是唯一一个

is impacting people’s mobility.

因为受恶劣天气 而影响人们迁徙能力的地方。

Repeated typhoons in the Philippines have displaced thousands from their homes.

菲利宾反复的台风 导致数千人无家可归。

In Fiji, the government is already moving many coastal villages inland

在斐济，政府已经在准备 将海滨村庄迁移内陆，

to get ahead of predicted land loss.

避免未来的土地流失。

And in the United States,

在美国，

melting permafrost is causing chunks of the Alaskan coastline to erode.

融化的永冻层导致了 阿拉斯加海岸线的腐蚀。

In some ways, this is nothing new.

某种程度上，这不是新鲜事。

Humanity has always adapted to changing weather

人类总是可以适应多变的天气，

and moved to regions that best support cultural lifestyles and livelihoods.

并且迁移到可以最好的支持 文化习性和生机的地方。

However, scientists agree that this rise in extreme weather

即便如此， 科学家们认为地球快速的天气变化

is a by-product of Earth’s rapidly changing climate.

导致了更多的极端天气。

Global warming increases the frequency and intensity of storms, flooding and drought,

全球变暖加剧了风暴， 洪水和干旱的频率与强度，

while also melting polar ice caps and raising sea levels.

还导致了融化极地冰川 和升高海平线。

These factors are changing the environment much faster than they have in the past.

相较过去，这些因素在更快地改变环境。

Even for communities with the resources to take action,

即便对于那些有资源去行动的群体，

the variable pace and nature of these changes makes them difficult to adapt to.

这些改变多变的速度与本质 使他们很难去适应。

And the vulnerable populations most impacted by climate change

那些最被气候变化所影响的弱势群体

are often those least responsible.

往往责任是最小的。

Many facing climate mobility live in farming and fishing communities

很多被气候多变所影响的人居住 在农业和捕鱼的群体，

in countries that generate dramatically fewer emissions

这些国家相较于同行生产显著低的排放量。

than their larger counterparts.

Bangladesh is one such country.

孟加拉国就是这样的国家。

The nation has a unique combination of low-lying geography

这个国家由独特的低洼地理和 人口密集沿海区域的组成。

and heavily populated coastal regions.

Most of these vulnerable coastal families, like those in Mohammadpur,

大多数弱势沿海家庭， 和穆罕默德布尔一样，

don’t want to abandon their homes and livelihoods.

不希望抛弃他们的家与生计。

And for others, leaving Bangladesh isn’t financially practical.

对于其他人来说，离开孟加拉国在经济上是不现实的。

So to stay with their communities,

为了可以和他们的群体在一起，

many have moved a few meters inland

很多需要向内陆迁移，

and built more resilient homes on higher ground or elevated stilts.

并在更高的地方建造结实的房屋。

Others have tried to buy land on newly emerging islands in the delta,

其他人尝试在新起的三角洲内陆购买陆地，

while some have sent family members to find work in nearby cities.

与此同时很多人将家庭成员 送到邻近的城市寻找工作，

A handful of individuals might even cross international borders,

很多人甚至跨越了国际边界，

if they have family, friends, or work connections on the other side.

如果在另一边有他们的家庭，朋友，或者工作联系。

But many of the residents who’ve left are eager to return home.

但是很多离开的居民都迫切的想要回家。

Unfortunately, it's unclear when weather extremes will die down,

不幸的是，还不确定 极端天气什么时候会停止，

and the government has repeatedly delayed projects to build concrete embankments

并且政府一直拖延了修建 可以防止腐蚀的河坝的项目。

that would prevent further erosion.

In other parts of the world,

在世界的其他地方，

people couldn’t move inland even if they wanted to.

即便人们想向内陆迁移也不可行。

The low-lying Pacific Island nations of Kiribati and Tuvalu

低洼的太平洋岛国基里巴斯和图瓦卢

are only 811 square kilometers and 26 square kilometers, respectively;

分别占地面积 只有811平方千米和26平方千米。

so migration would mean moving to a different country altogether.

所以迁移将代表 搬到了一个完全不同的国家。

Instead, their governments and citizens have united

取而代之，这些政府和公民

in physically, legally, and politically fortifying their countries.

在行动上，法律上和政治上 团结一致去保卫他们的国家。

Island residents are planting coastal mangrove forests,

岛民们在种植沿海红树林，

and building up low-lying areas of land with dredged sand

并且用疏浚砂建造低洼地区，

to shield themselves against storms and rising sea levels.

以防风暴和海平面上升。

And the islands’ governments have repeatedly lobbied on the global stage

这些岛屿政府反复地在全球

for countries with the highest emissions to reduce pollution

游说那些造成高排放量的国家， 让他们减少污染，

and take responsibility for climate change.

并且为气候变化负责。

The challenges facing each coastal community are unique,

这些沿海群体所面临的挑战是特殊的，

and the diversity of the people's experiences can make climate mobility

并且人们多样的经历 会让气候多变难以衡量与定义。

a difficult phenomenon to measure and define.

But as new communities are endangered by extreme weather,

但是当更多的群体被极端天气所危害，

it’s more important than ever to listen to those

我们比任何时候都应该听从 那些站在危机前线的人。

on the front lines of this crisis.