Climate Action

This map shows where animals will flee because of climate change

Migrating cranes fly over the Hula Lake Ornithology and Nature Park in northern Israel, which is a stopping point for hundreds of species of birds along their migration route between the northern and southern hemispheres during the cold season December 7, 2016. REUTERS/Baz Ratner - RTSV0SV

Climate change is forcing many species to migrate in search of more hospitable homes Image: REUTERS/Baz Ratner

Stéphanie Thomson
Writer, Forum Agenda

It’s a captivating image: as the seasons start changing, look up at the sky and you’ll no doubt see hundreds if not thousands of birds migrating towards more hospitable climates. And it’s not just birds – butterflies, frogs, snakes and mammals such as deer, moose and sheep also migrate. In fact, it’s been described as “near universal in the animal kingdom”.

 Migrating cranes fly over the Hula Lake Ornithology and Nature Park in northern Israel
Migrating cranes fly over the Hula Lake Ornithology and Nature Park in northern Israel Image: REUTERS/Baz Ratner

This fascinating phenomenon has been playing out since the beginning of time, but there’s a particular type of migratory behaviour that has experts concerned: climate-induced migration.

As climate change transforms once favourable environments into inhospitable terrain, animals are forced to seek out new places to live. To highlight just how serious an issue this is, scientists at the Nature Conservancy have created a data visualization that is as mesmerizing as it is worrying.

 Map showing where species will have to migrate to escape climate change
Map showing where species will have to migrate to escape climate change. Pink represents mammals, blue for birds, yellow for amphibians. Image: Nature Conservancy

Different species have different climatic needs. While camels can survive in some of the world’s hottest regions, the wood frog can endure temperatures as low as -18°C for months at a time. To create the data visualization, the researchers took the different climatic needs of almost 3,000 species and mapped them against climate change projections.

The result is a map, created by Dan Majka, showing where animals will have to flee to find a climate matching their needs. “This map shows the average direction mammals, birds and amphibians need to move to track hospitable climates as they shift across the landscape,” the researchers explain on their website.

Here’s the problem, though: while the flows might look smooth when visualized on the map, the reality is far more complex. Thanks in large part to human activity – the roads we build, the apartments we construct, and other things we do that modify the natural landscape – some of these routes will be blocked to animals.

Which is why the researchers are hoping the visualization will persuade decision-makers to take action now.

“Removing fencing, adding wildlife overpasses (or underpasses) to major roadways, and better routing of infrastructure like pipelines and powerlines can all help re-connect areas fragmented by human development,” they conclude.

Have you read?
Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

Future of the Environment

Related topics:
Climate ActionNature and Biodiversity
Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Future of the Environment is affecting economies, industries and global issues
World Economic Forum logo

Forum Stories newsletter

Bringing you weekly curated insights and analysis on the global issues that matter.

Subscribe today

These collaborations are already tackling climate-driven health risks but more can be done to find solutions

Fernando J. Gómez and Elia Tziambazis

December 20, 2024

Here's what was agreed at COP16 to combat global desertification

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum