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List of areas depopulated due to climate change

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Satellite imaging of Gardi Sugdub, in Panama, a tiny island in the Caribbean Sea and a part of the San Blas archipelago, home to 1,200 indigenous Guna people, which the imaging shows that they will soon be displaced to the mainland because of the sea level rise induced by climate change.
Satellite imaging of Cartí Sugtupu, Panama in 2022, showing rising sea levels submerging the island and forcing hundreds of indigenous Guna people to relocate.

This article lists several areas, regions, and municipalities that have either been completely or markedly depopulated, or are involved in plans for depopulation or relocation due to anthropogenic climate change. Several factors created or worsened by climate change can be responsible for necessitating managed retreat or the relocation of people and/or infrastructure. These include rising sea levels, increased flooding risk, changes to the makeup of the land (e.g. a habitable area becoming a wetland), coastal erosion, increased susceptibility to dangerous cyclones, droughts, water shortages, wildfires, and other factors, all of which can overlap with each other to enhance the risk of danger or inhabitability of a formerly populated region.

The lists contain a general number of the number of people moved or at risk of being moved due to climate change-related causes, as well as rough dates for when programs to relocate were first created or for when a climate disaster first caused significant forcible displacement of a population.

Lists

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Completely depopulated

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Area Location Number impacted Reasons for/details of depopulation Date(s) started References
Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw community of Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana Louisiana, United States ~100 Saltwater intrusion and sea level rise, "the first migration of a total community in the state of Louisiana" 2016 [1][2]
Cartí Sugtupu San Blas Archipelago in the Guna Yala province of Panama 927 In the process of complete relocation due to rising sea levels. The first island in Panama to be displaced due to climate change. 2015 [3][4][5][6][7][8]
A neighborhood of Željezno Polje Žepče, Bosnia and Herzegovina 2,000+ Catastrophic flooding during the 2014 Balkan floods caused complete destruction and depopulation of a section of Željezno Polje, resulting in a "ghost neighborhood". 2014 [9][10]
Vunidogoloa Vanua Levu, Fiji 140 Original location became the first town in Fiji to be depopulated and relocated due to persistent flooding, saltwater intrusion, and coastal erosion, becoming a ghost town. 2004 [11][12][13]
Tukuraki Viti Levu, Fiji Susceptibility to landslides and flooding from cyclones. 2017 [11][13]
Nabavatu Vanua Levu, Fiji Nearly 400 Devastated by Cyclone Ana, depopulated due to its proximity to the coast and susceptibility to flooding and storm surge. 2021 [11][14]
Sea Breeze, New Jersey Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States 19 Increased flooding risk resulting in property owners collectively agreeing to sell their properties to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. 2008 [15]

Significantly impacted

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Area Location Number impacted Reasons for/details of depopulation Date(s) started References
Lake Chad Basin Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon 30,000,000 Droughts, floods, and the lake's contraction due to climate change, secondarily intensifying regional conflicts. [16][17][18][19]
Sudd region South Sudan 1,000,000 Significant flooding increases and lack of drainage leading to permanent conversion of settlements and agricultural land into wetlands. 2017 [20][21][22]
Sundarbans Khulna Division, Bangladesh and West Bengal, India Up to 70,000 Rising sea levels 2020 [23]
Satabhaya, Odisha Kendrapara district of Odisha, India 650 families Rising sea levels and coastal erosion, requiring state relocation to Bagapatia. 2016 [24]
Minqin County Gansu Province, China 10,000 Water shortages 2007
Xihaigu Ningxia, China Hundreds of thousands Water shortages 1983 [25]
Paradise, California Sierra Nevada region of the United States 20,000+ Camp Fire, exacerbated by drought 2018 [26][27]
Kivalina Northwest Arctic, Alaska, United States 444 Sea level rise, flooding, sea wave erosion, and bank erosion impacting local water quality, resulting in a planned relocation 12 km (7.5 mi) from the present site. 2007 [28][29][30]
Newtok Bethel, Alaska, United States 209 Erosion due to melting permafrost and increasing flooding risk, requiring movement to Mertarvik. 2019 [31][32]
Shaktoolik Nome, Alaska, United States 212 Increasing flooding risk and erosion 2009 [33][34]
Shishmaref Nome, Alaska, United States 576 Increasing flooding risk from rising sea levels, erosion, and permafrost melting. 1987 [35][36][37]
Quinault Indian Nation villages of Taholah and Queets Washington's Olympic Peninsula, United States 660 Susceptibility to flooding and landslides due to rising sea levels, resulting in planned relocation to higher ground. 2014 [38][39][40]
Domaljevac-Šamac Posavina, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1,000+ Repeated flooding; considered the first permanent climate migration in Europe along with other areas impacted by the 2014 Balkan floods 2014 [10]
Kopanice Posavina, Bosnia and Herzegovina 280 Repeated flooding, 15-20% of population permanently left after the 2014 Balkan floods 2014 [10]
Orašje Posavina, Bosnia and Herzegovina 19,861 Repeated flooding, about 50% of the working age population left the city after the 2014 Balkan floods 2014 [10]
Cotul Morii Hîncești District, Moldova 440 families Ordered by the federal government to be relocated 15 km away from its original location due to significant flooding. Officially abandoned by state decree, although 60 families returned despite there being no running electricity or water. 2010 [41]
Fairbourne Wales, United Kingdom 400 homes Rising sea levels and erosion, planned managed retreat to completely abandoned by 2055. 2010 [42][43]
Saint-Louis Senegal 254,171 Sea level rise and susceptibility to flooding and storm surge, where up to 80% of its area could be flooded by 2080. [44]
La Push, Washington United States 371 Rising sea levels leading to greater susceptibility to flooding and tsunamis, resulting in the community moving the buildings in the village to higher ground. 2017 [45][46]
Money Island, New Jersey Cumberland County, New Jersey 20+ Sea level rise and Hurricane Sandy, resulting in state buyback of properties to convert into wildlife sanctuaries. 2012 [47]
Oakwood Beach Oakwood, New Jersey Susceptibility to sea level rise and flooding due to low elevation, resulting in state property buyback programs following significant damage during Hurricane Sandy. 2012 [48][49][50]
Nuatambu Solomon Islands 34 families Severe erosion and rising sea levels submerging half of its settlements. 2011 [51]
Tuvalu Oceania 11,000 Sea level rise, resulting in resettlement plans and agreements with Australia to enable climate-related mobility for its citizens 2023 [52][53][54][55]
West Auckland Auckland, New Zealand 319,566 Rising sea levels leading to extensive flooding, resulting in relocation and government property buybacks. 2023 [56][57][58][59]
Westport West Coast, New Zealand 4,250 Rising sea levels leading to extensive flooding, resulting in relocation and government property buybacks. 2023 [56][57][58][59]
South Dunedin Dunedin, New Zealand 2,500 Rising sea levels leading to extensive flooding, resulting in relocation and government property buybacks. 2023 [56][57][58][59]
Southshore Christchurch, New Zealand 1,041 Rising sea levels leading to extensive flooding, resulting in relocation and government property buybacks. 2023 [56][57][58][59]
Petone Lower Hutt, New Zealand 8,330 Rising sea levels leading to extensive flooding, resulting in relocation and government property buybacks. 2023 [56][57][58][59]
Whakatāne Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand 16,850 Rising sea levels leading to extensive flooding, resulting in relocation and government property buybacks for certain regions of the town. 2023 [56][57][58][59]
Whanganui Manawatū-Whanganui, New Zealand 48,900 Rising sea levels leading to extensive flooding, resulting in relocation and government property buybacks for certain regions of the city. 2023 [56][57][58][59]
Whangārei Northland, New Zealand 56,900 Rising sea levels leading to extensive flooding, resulting in relocation and government property buybacks for certain regions of the city. 2023 [56][57][58][59]
Esk Valley Hawke Bay, New Zealand 236 households Rising sea levels leading to extensive flooding, resulting in relocation and government property buybacks following Cyclone Gabrielle. 2023 [59][60][61]
Ebro Delta Province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain 50,000 Rising sea levels triggering managed retreat plans for areas closest to the sea. 2009 [62][63][64]
Holderness East Riding of Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom 11,993 Highest rate of coastal erosion in Europe due to its soft soil and rising sea levels. [65][66]
Hunstanton Norfolk, England, United Kingdom 4,229 Severe coastal erosion due to rising sea levels, requiring managed retreat. 1996 [67][68]
Wells-next-the-Sea Norfolk, England, United Kingdom 2,165 Severe coastal erosion due to rising sea levels, requiring managed retreat. 1996 [67][69]
Blakeney Norfolk, England, United Kingdom 801 Severe coastal erosion due to rising sea levels, requiring managed retreat. 1996 [67][70]
Sheringham Norfolk, England, United Kingdom 7,367 Severe coastal erosion due to rising sea levels, requiring managed retreat. 1996 [67][71]
Cromer Norfolk, England, United Kingdom 7,683 Severe coastal erosion due to rising sea levels, requiring managed retreat. 1996 [67][72]
Mundesley Norfolk, England, United Kingdom 2,758 Severe coastal erosion due to rising sea levels, requiring managed retreat. 1996 [67][73]
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Pictures of regions depopulated or susceptible to depopulation due to climate change-related factors

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Guillot, Craig. "The Resettlement of Isle De Jean Charles." Planning 82.8 (2016): 21. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 February 2017.
  2. ^ Davenport, Coral; Robertson, Campbell (3 May 2016). "Resettling the First American 'Climate Refugees'". New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast). New York, N.Y. p. A.1. Archived from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021. Louisiana officials have been coping with some of the fastest rates of land loss in the world — an area the size of Delaware has disappeared from south Louisiana since the 1930s.
  3. ^ McCleland, Jacob (12 November 2015). "Rising Sea Levels Threaten Tiny Islands Home To Indigenous Panamanians". NPR. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018.
  4. ^ "The island people with a climate change escape plan". BBC News. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
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  7. ^ Rodriguez, Kelybeth (4 June 2024). "Mudanza de Isla Gardí Sugdub a Nuevo Cartí avanza con éxito". RPC Radio (in Spanish). Corporación Medcom Panamá.
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