The aim of this book is to examine the causes and consequences of population displacement related to climate change in the recent past, the present, and the near future. First and foremost, this book includes an examination of patterns of population displacement that have occurred or are currently underway since the publication of the competitive literature. This includes the ongoing mass migration of climate refugees from sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East to Europe and populations displaced by natural disasters in 2017. Second, the book introduces a three-tier framework for both understanding and responding to the public health impacts of climate-related population displacement. It illustrates the interrelations between impacts on the larger physical and social environment that precipitates and results from population displacement and the social and health impacts of climate-related migration. Third, the book contains numerous first-hand accounts of climate-related population displacement and its consequences, in addition to reviews of demographic data and reviews of existing literature on the subject.The book focuses on two forms of population displacement, one that occurs in the aftermath of a natural disaster such as a hurricane or typhoon or massive wildfires, and one that occurs in response to a longer-term change in environment such as prolonged droughts, persistent flooding, or gradual rise in sea levels. Each of these two forms of displacement is illustrated by three case studies. In the first instance, the displacements from New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast that occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, and from Northern California in the aftermath of the wildfires of 2017, are used to illustrate the reasons for displacement, impacts on the health and well-being of displaced individuals and families, and impacts on the communities of origin and host communities. In the second instance, the mass migration in recent years from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East due to drought, from the Asia-Pacific Rim due to sea level rise, and from small Alaskan Native and Native American villages in the United States due to coastal erosion, are used to illustrate similar impacts over a longer period of time. These case examples highlight the scale of population displacement and its impacts worldwide and argue for the implementation of specific policies and practices designed to manage the migration process, moderate the need for displacement, and mitigate the adverse social and health consequences of such displacement. The target audience for this book includes researchers, practitioners, and policymakers representing a variety of disciplines, including public health, public policy, social work, urban development, climate and environmental science, engineering, and medicine. Although it is largely written from the perspective of a researcher, it reflects the perspectives of practitioners and policymakers on the need for developing policies, programs, and interventions to address the growing numbers of individuals, families, and communities that have been displaced as a result of short- and long-term environmental disasters. Addressing these three audiences in one book is consistent with the framework for implementation introduced in this book, one that is grounded in the importance of relationships and the need for developing and sustaining partnerships involving researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. The goal is to develop a common language that can be used by all three audiences. Although the book draws heavily from research conducted in the United States, it is intended for an international audience, especially as low and middle-income countries are struggling to identify and implement evidence-based practices and interventions that could address similar mental and behavioral health needs of the displaced populations they serve.  Consequently, the book contains descriptions of the scope of mental and behavioral health issues faced by climate refugees worldwide and offer illustrations of efforts to implement evidence-based practices to address these needs in low- and middle-income countries, as well as high-income countries like the United States.weiterlesen