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

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Mohammadpur has always had a unique relationship with the weather.

莫哈馬德普爾和天氣 一直有著很獨特的關係。

Located at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal,

位在孟加拉灣的灣口，

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

這個海岸村落建造在 梅克納河三角洲上。

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

三角洲是種大片的陸地，

形成原因是河流遇到更大的水體時，

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

其所攜帶的沉積物會沉澱下來。

River deltas are incredibly fertile ecosystems

河流三角洲是非常豐沃的生態系統，

capable of supporting abundant agriculture and marine life.

可以維持大量的農業和海洋生命。

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

然而，三角洲的邊界會漸漸改變，

因為河流會帶來更多沉積物，

and storms wash sediment away.

暴風雨則會把沉積物沖走。

The residents of Mohammadpur are well accustomed to managing

莫哈馬德普爾的居民很習慣處理

the ebbs and flows of this ever-shifting landscape.

這塊不斷變化的地景的消長。

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

但，最近

大量強大的氣旋經常造成洪水，

that impedes farming and fishing.

影響到農、漁業。

These floods also erode the coastline,

這些洪水也侵蝕了海岸線，

allowing later storms to wipe away land altogether.

讓後續的暴風雨能把土地一起帶走。

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

2000 年起，梅克納河已經 侵襲了 2.5 公里的海岸線，

forcing many villagers to move inland or to nearby cities.

迫使許多村民搬到 內陸或鄰近的城市。

Mohammadpur isn’t the only place where erratic weather

除了莫哈馬德普爾，其他地方 亦會發生不穩定的天氣

is impacting people’s mobility.

影響到人民的移動性。

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

菲律賓不斷遇到颱風， 讓數以千計的人搬離家園。

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

在斐濟，政府已經將 許多海岸村落遷至內陸，

to get ahead of predicted land loss.

提早為預期的土地縮減做準備。

And in the United States,

在美國，

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

永久凍土層融解讓大塊的 阿拉斯加海岸被侵蝕掉。

In some ways, this is nothing new.

在某些層面上，這現象並不是新的。

Humanity has always adapted to changing weather

人類一直會適應不斷改變的天氣，

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

搬遷到最能維持其文化之 生活方式和生計的地方。

However, scientists agree that this rise in extreme weather

然而，科學家認為 極端天氣越來越多，

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

是地球氣候快速改變的副產物。

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

全球暖化增加了暴風雨、 洪水，和乾旱的頻率和強度，

while also melting polar ice caps and raising sea levels.

同時也讓北極冰帽融化， 讓海平面上升。

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

這些因子改變環境的 速度比以往更快。

Even for communities with the resources to take action,

即便是有資源可以採取行動的社區，

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

這些改變的多變步調和本質，

仍讓他們很難適應。

And the vulnerable populations most impacted by climate change

而受到氣候變遷影響最大的脆弱族群

are often those least responsible.

通常都是最不需要負責的族群。

Many facing climate mobility live in farming and fishing communities

許多因氣候而得搬移的人，

都居住在農、漁業社區，

in countries that generate dramatically fewer emissions

且所屬國家所產生的排放都遠少於

than their larger counterparts.

其他更大的國家。

Bangladesh is one such country.

孟加拉就是其中一例。

The nation has a unique combination of low-lying geography

該國有個獨特的組合：地勢很低，

and heavily populated coastal regions.

以及沿岸地區的人口眾多。

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

大部分這類易受影響的沿岸家庭， 如莫哈馬德普爾的家庭，

don’t want to abandon their homes and livelihoods.

並不想拋棄他們的家園和生計。

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

對其他人而言，從財務角度來看， 離開孟加拉並不實際。

So to stay with their communities,

所以，為了留在社區中，

many have moved a few meters inland

許多人只是向內陸搬移了幾公尺，

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

在較高處建造更具韌性的 住房或者把住房架高。

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

其他人則嘗試購買三角洲 新出現的島嶼上的土地，

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

有些人則是派家人 到鄰近的城市找工作。

A handful of individuals might even cross international borders,

不少人可能還會跨越國界，

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

因為他們在邊界的另一邊有 家人、朋友，或工作人脈。

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

但許多離開家園的居民迫切想返鄉。

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

不幸的是，不知道何時 極端天氣才會減輕，

and the government has repeatedly delayed projects to build concrete embankments

而政府又不斷延遲

能預防進一步侵蝕的堤岸建設計畫。

that would prevent further erosion.

In other parts of the world,

在世界上其他地方，

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

有人就算想要搬到內陸也沒辦法。

The low-lying Pacific Island nations of Kiribati and Tuvalu

吉里巴斯和吐瓦魯 是地勢很低的太平洋島國，

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

國土大小分別只有 811 平方公里和 26 平方公里。

so migration would mean moving to a different country altogether.

所以，遷移的意思 就是要搬到另一個國家。

Instead, their governments and citizens have united

反之，它們的政府和人民

in physically, legally, and politically fortifying their countries.

在實體上、法律上，及政治上 團結合作，強化其國家。

Island residents are planting coastal mangrove forests,

島民在沿岸種植紅樹林，

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

挖掘海沙將地勢低的地區建高，

to shield themselves against storms and rising sea levels.

協助他們抵禦暴風雨 和上升的海平面。

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

這些島嶼的政府一直不斷 在國際場合遊說，

for countries with the highest emissions to reduce pollution

希望排放最高的國家能減少污染，

and take responsibility for climate change.

並為氣候變遷負起責任。

The challenges facing each coastal community are unique,

每個沿岸社區所面臨的挑戰 都是獨一無二的，

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

且人的經驗十分多樣化，

讓氣候造成的移動現象 很難測量也很難定義。

a difficult phenomenon to measure and define.

But as new communities are endangered by extreme weather,

然而隨著更多社區 開始受到極端天氣威脅，

it’s more important than ever to listen to those

現在比之前更重要的事，

是要聆聽身在危機最前線的人。

on the front lines of this crisis.