Myers's widely cited work on 'climate refugees' has been criticised by social scientists, and migration scholars in particular. Professor Myers himself admitted that his estimates, although calculated from the best available data, required some "heroic extrapolations", In April 2011, the UN was reported to have distanced itself from Myers's forecasts in 2005 that the total number of climate refugees would reach 50 million by 2010.
Myers's influential study on 'climate refugees' has been criticized by social scientists, especially migration scholars. Professor Myers acknowledged that his estimates, based on the best available data, involved some "heroic assumptions". In April 2011, the UN reportedly distanced itself from Myers's predictions in 2005 suggesting a total of 50 million climate refugees by 2010.