The Center for Gender Studies (CEG) holds a forum on climate change and forced displacement.

SANTO DOMINGO.  “Forced displacement and mobility due to climate change is not a passing crisis or a sporadic pandemic; the effects on the lives, property, and emotions of those affected are long-lasting and uncertain,” warned Desiree del Rosario Sosa, coordinator of the Center for Gender Studies at the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (CEG-INTEC).

Participating in the forum "The Global South: What are its perspectives? Who are its subjects and demands?"—the first of several to be held by CEG-INTEC on climate change and forced displacement, with the participation of prominent national and international speakers—del Rosario Sosa pointed out that an example of this dramatic reality is the 4500 billion people who have suffered major meteorological disasters at some point in the last 20 years.

Del Rosario Sosa indicated that, according to data provided by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), more than half of the world's population has lost their lives or had their homes and livelihoods destroyed, and economies have also been ruined. In this regard, she emphasized that the Dominican Republic is not immune to this tragedy.

“In the Dominican Republic, this type of displacement not only responds to the increasing intensity of hydrometeorological events such as floods, storms, and droughts, but is also linked to historical processes of territorial inequality, social exclusion, and institutional fragility,” emphasized Del Rosario Sosa.

The CEG-INTEC coordinator said that, despite advances in risk understanding and early warning capabilities, "the effects of climate events continue to disproportionately affect rural, impoverished communities in the country."

Speakers

The forum also featured participation by Canadian academic James Milner, who gave a historical overview of the worrying phenomenon of climate change; professor and writer Juan Zapata, with a Caribbean perspective; American professor Matthew Bird with his presentation "Subjects"; and Juan Guzmán, a professor at INTEC, with his "Island Perspective."

The Global South

In 2024, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) published a report entitled 'Forging a Global South' establishing which countries are located in the Global South, noting that the use of the term "South" refers to developing countries since the 1970s, which share a set of vulnerabilities and challenges, including forced displacement due to climate change," explained Desiree Del Rosario, CEG coordinator.

Del Rosario Sosa explained that the term "Global South" refers to a history of colonialism, neo-imperialism, and divergent economic and social changes, which have maintained significant inequalities in living standards, life expectancy, and access to resources.