Articles

A New Deal for Refugees: How Land Restoration and Infrastructure Modernization Can Help Solve the Refugee Crisis

Goldman, Jonas Philip

The migrant crisis in Europe is the largest since WWII. Millions of migrants are without hope or a source of income. However, this tragedy could present an opportunity for Europe as the EU currently faces two problems, which a large influx of labor could fix. First, decaying outdated European infrastructure and construction and secondly the abandonment of European farmland. During the 1920’s the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a government program from the great depression, employed large numbers of unemployed men in land management fields. Just as the CCC addressed the environmental and social problems of its day, a modern government program modeled after the CCC could address the issues currently facing the EU. This paper lays out a roadmap for just such a program outlining how the EU could employ refugees to address the current environmental issues facing Europe. The paper also explores potential uses for abandoned farmland, such as re-utilization for agriculture, agroforestry and re-wilding as well as the management, funding and potential issues faced by such a program.

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Title
Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7916/D8XK9SF1

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Academic Units
Earth Institute
Published Here
November 12, 2018