24th Annual Great Lakes Water Conference to Explore Climate Migration in Great Lakes Region

24th Annual Great Lakes Water Conference to Explore Climate Migration in Great Lakes Region

The regional implications of climate-related migration are the focus of the 24th annual Great Lakes Water Conference on Friday, Nov. 8.

"Climate Migration in the Great Lakes Region" will be presented as a live webinar from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Online registration is required, and registrants will receive an email with a link to the virtual conference a few days before the event.

Registration for those seeking continuing legal education (CLE) credits is $55. Registration for all others is free.

The University of Toledo College of Law and its affiliated Legal Institute of the Great Lakes sponsor the Great Lakes Water Conference, which explores timely water issues of importance to the region and the nation. This year six panelists will explore the legal, policy and technical implications of climate migration generally, as well as unique challenges and opportunities that may be experienced in the region surrounding the Great Lakes.

"Climate disasters - like the recent devastating storms in the southeastern United States - are becoming more frequent and more severe. Researchers expect that flooding, drought, storms and other environmental stressors will encourage people to relocate to areas with more hospitable climates in the coming decades," said Evan Zoldan, a professor in the College of Law and director of the Legal Institute of the Great Lakes. "Because it is likely to be less vulnerable than most of the rest of the country to climate change, the Great Lakes region is a promising location for people relocating because of climate change.

"Are we ready for the mass migration that might be coming? From environmental and economic perspectives, the possibility of mass migration into the Great Lakes region creates both opportunities and risks," he continued. "How can we prepare for the increased stress that mass migration will place on existing water infrastructure? What will an influx of people do to labor and employment opportunities? How will the movement of people to the region affect electoral politics? These are the types of questions that should be foremost on our minds, and I am proud that the Legal Institute of the Great Lakes is fostering discussion of these important issues."

The Legal Institute of the Great Lakes is a multi-disciplinary research center within the College of Law. Founded in 1993, it supports research, maintains publications and sponsors conferences on legal, economic and social issues of importance to the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada.

For more information, including a conference agenda and a link to register, go to the College of Law's Great Lakes Water Conference website.