Effects of forced migration on the environment the case of Arua district, in Uganda.

Abstract

It is an accepted fact that large influx of displaced persons (refugees/IDPs) significantly contributes to environmental problems in host countries and communities (McNeill, 1984). In Uganda, land deterioration has been severe in areas where refugees have settled. This has resulted from the gradual removal of some part of the ecosystem by the refugees for settlement (UNDP, 2017). The situation is worsened by the rate of depletion of settled areas. As such, the refugees who depend on it have had to relocate to newer, virgin areas in search for better environment. The negative impacts of refugees on environment include deforestation, water pollution, health hazards, declining productivity of agricultural land among others (Ahimbisibwe, 2018). Refugee settlements often occur in environmentally sensitive areas. They depend entirely on environment for survival and livelihoods. Dependence on environmental factors such as land, water, and forests exerts undue pressure on these scarce resources thus creating degradation problems. It is on this backdrop that this study on the effects of forced migration on environment was undertaken. The study examines the effects that forced migration settlements pose on the environment, here, forced migration studied in terms of settling Refugees and Internally Displaced persons. This study is cognisant of the delicate nexus between migration and environment. There is need to manage this relationship in a smart balance so as to avoid adverse effects of the other. Using functionalist theory, this study recognises the drivers for migration as the forces behind migration situations and the effect on environment. The study uses qualitative descriptions in analysis of the objectives herein: to establish the effect of forced migration settlements on water resources, forest cover and land use. This study established that forced migration has significant effect on all the environmental factors above.