If you’ve spent any time in Atlanta (and definitely if you live here), you’ve heard the phrase ‘we full,’ which refers to our population. “Full.” But Atlanta might be about to get another huge boom in our population in the coming years, as people in other parts of the U.S. move to places less directly affected by climate change.
According to a new report by Yale Climate Connections, “Few places in the U.S. will likely see more climate migrants than Atlanta, which lies close to coastal areas of the Southeast U.S. where sea level rise can be expected to displace millions of people this century.”
Why are climate change migrants coming to Atlanta?
Of course, many cities will see climate migrants in the coming decades. The entire world is affected by climate change, but some cities are safer to move to than others. Yale Climate Connections states, “Atlanta has been more proactive than most U.S. cities at confronting climate change.” They continue that by the 2040s, the Atlanta Metro area could boom significantly. We’re looking at a population jump from around 6 million (where it is now) to nearly 9 million people. Yale clarifies that this jump in population could occur,”even without the extra influx of people climate change migration might bring.”
Some of the environmental reasons for the climate migration include: rising sea levels, extreme heat, wildfires, drought, and hurricanes in other cities.
Can Atlanta handle the increase in population?
There isn’t a yes or no answer for this. As the infrastructure exists right now, it would be difficult to house and provide basic needs to that many more people, but Atlanta is committed to improving affordable housing, better public transport, and so much more.