NSU SHSS Hosts Webinar on “Climate Refugees, Nomenculture, and Why It Matters”. North South University’s (NSU) School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) hosted a webinar, as part of the NSU SHSS Distinguished Webinar Series titled “Climate Refugees, Nomenculture, and Why It Matters” on 7 July, 2026. The session drew a diverse audience of faculty members, students, legal practitioners, and researchers interested in the intersection of climate change, migration, and international law.
The guest speaker for the session was Dr. Simon Behrman, Associate Professor at the University of Warwick, UK. Dr. Behrman is a renowned expert in refugee law and has written extensively on the intersections of law, climate change, and migration. His presentation navigated the complex legal and linguistic landscapes surrounding the term “climate refugee,” arguing that despite its rejection by formal legal instruments, the label remains a critical tool for setting the parameters of urgency and protection for those displaced by climate-induced disasters.
In his keynote address, Dr. Behrman noted that approximately 250 million people have been displaced as a result of severe weather events since 2016, averaging about 25 million people per year. For the first time in recent years, the numbers of people displaced by environmental factors have exceeded those caused by armed conflict. He emphasized that while the 1951 Refugee Convention is unlikely to be expanded to encompass climate refugees, the term itself—derived from the French verb meaning simply “to flee from danger”—is perfectly apt in the context of climate change events. He argued that the “nomenculture” debate is not a distraction but an unavoidable question of critical importance, as labels like “refugee” imply a legal right and a need for protection that terms like “migrant” or “displaced person” do not carry. He further highlighted that political resistance to the term, particularly from global north states during UN climate negotiations, has led to its replacement with more nebulous phrases like “climate change induced displacement, migration, and planned relocation.”
Professor Md. Rizwanul Islam, Dean of SHSS and Professor of Law at NSU, delivered the introductory remarks. He framed the discussion by noting that the international refugee regime is already under stress, questioning whether extending it to climate change refugees would bring meaningful outcomes. He expressed doubt about the practicality of expanding the 1951 Convention but acknowledged the importance of the debate. The session was moderated by Md. Lokman Hussain, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Law at NSU.
During the engaging question-and-answer session, Dr. Behrman addressed several key questions from the audience, including who the major forces driving the climate refugee issue are (activists and civil society, rather than states or academics), UNHCR’s rejection of the term (attributing it to funding pressures from global north states), and the risk of the term being weaponized by states. He advocated for free movement as an ideal solution and suggested that future legal protections are more likely to emerge through the climate change legal framework (UNFCCC) rather than refugee law, pointing to initiatives like the IGAD free movement protocol in East Africa and the Australia-Tuvalu treaty as small but significant steps.
The Distinguished Webinar Series is one of the key academic initiatives of NSU SHSS. The organizers aim to foster meaningful academic dialogue and engagement between scholars, practitioners, and students through such programs.