Knowledge Platform on People on the Move in a Changing Climate
April - May 2024
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SIDS4: The 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States
By Elisabeth du Parc, IOM CAD HQ Geneva
The 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States was held in Antigua and Barbuda from 27-30 May 2024, with the theme of Charting the Course Toward Resilient Prosperity. The Conference was attended by IOM's Director General Amy Pope and IOM's Deputy Director General for Operations Ugochi Daniels,
At this occasion, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) organized a side-event called "Harnessing the Power of Migration to Accelerate Development and for Climate Resilient Prosperity in SIDS," with the participation of government representatives from SIDS, youth and members of Civil Society Organisations. In addition, IOM co-contributed to the background notes of 3 of the 5 Interactive Dialogues, of which one focuses on making climate finance work, where the Deputy Director General intervened and called to scale up finance to address climate displacement, maximize the potential of diasporas for financing, support SIDS to safely relocate communities at risk as a last resort, and invest on safe migration.
Through these contributions, IOM sought to harness the power of migration for sustainable development by addressing climate and environmental mobility, skilled migration and labour mobility as well as diaspora engagement and remittances in the outcome document of the conference: the new Programme of Action for SIDS.
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Senior Officials Discuss Advancing IOM's Vision for the African Continent
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Visit to Somali Region and Jijiga Camps
By Cecilia Zerbini, IOM CAD HQ Geneva
On 07-09 May 2024, senior IOM officials met for a Continental Policy Coordination Committee (CPCC) Meeting in Addis Ababa. The purpose of this meeting was to align IOM's strategic priorities and activities in Africa, and it included a dialogue with the African Union leaders to identify key areas of joint strategic work that can support IOM’s strategic direction and partnership in Africa.
Ahead of this meeting, the IOM Director of Climate Action Ms. Rania Ahmed Sharshr joined the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Solutions to Internal Displacement, Mr Robert Piper, the IOM Ethiopia Mission and the Ethiopia UN Country Team on a field visit to the Jijiga Camps. This visit served as an opportunity to hear from displaced women, men and children affected by climate and conflict crises, who expressed their need for durable and sustained solutions, and access to services. The visit included a meeting with Somalia Region President and discussion on Climate Crisis and Early warning Early Actions needed to support the communities.
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Human Mobility at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
By Pablo Escribano, RO San Jose
On 29 May, IOM intervened at the 167th ordinary period of sessions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR), on the Public Hearing “Climate Emergency and Human Rights” which took place in Manaus, Brazil. The intervention was delivered by Mr. Manuel Marques Pereira, chief of Climate Action Policy and Advocacy at IOM's Climate Action Division. The public hearings provided a historical opportunity for the IACtHR and the world to hear directly from communities and the international community and witness first-hand the impacts and risks posed by the climate crisis.
IOM seized this opportunity to highlight the importance of addressing the human mobility and climate change nexus from a human rights perspective, on the basis of its written contribution to the Court. Following these proceedings and as requested by Chile and Colombia, the Court will publish an Advisory Opinion which will refer to legal obligations under Interamerican human rights law in relation to climate change, including on the topic of human mobility. This is expected to be a key milestone in the topic of climate justice litigation.
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IOM Engagement at the 10th World Water Forum
By Christina Daszkiewicz and Itan Valencia, IOM CAD HQ Geneva
The Ministerial Declaration on Water for Shared Prosperity, under its paragraph 7, calls for urgently: "Strengthening efforts to address challenges related to the interlinkage between water, energy, food security, nutrition, poverty and hunger eradication, and migration, while recognizing that water is indispensable for human development, health and well-being and taking into account the carrying capacity of the limited freshwater for economic and social development."
This Ministerial Declaration is one of the main outputs of the 10th World Water Forum, that took place between 18 – 25 May, in Bali, Indonesia. The Forum, organized by the World Water Council, takes place every three years and represents a multi-stakeholder platform devoted to the advancement and resolution of key water issues requiring the involvement of governmental, scientific, technical and advocacy representatives.
During the Forum, IOM presented and discussed the interlinkages between migration, water and climate change, including during a side event on hydro-diplomacy, a technical session on a workable framework to address social and economic vulnerability under water-related disasters, and WASH-related events on realizing SDG 6 in fragile and humanitarian contexts and improving emergency response in water related disasters.
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Words into Action on Disaster Displacement - Displacement Scorecard for Cities
By Nicholas Bishop, IOM CAD HQ Geneva
IOM assumed leadership on Words into Action (WiA), specifically the Displacement Scorecard Addendum for Cities from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in January 2024. This collaborative effort, uniting the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR), and the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), aims to significantly raise the profile of the Scorecard and roll it out in diverse settlement contexts throughout 2024 in Thailand, Moldova, Kenya, Egypt, Lebanon, Brazil and beyond.
Currently undergoing revisions by IOM and partner agencies, the Scorecard will be accompanied by a facilitator's guide and training materials. This initiative holds promise as a key institutional tool for municipalities of all sizes and resource levels to build awareness, establish resource allocation targets, and implement preparedness, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation actions within their settlements ahead of prospective displacement crises.
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Americas and the Caribbean
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A New Exhibition Explores Climate Mobility Processes in São Paulo, Brazil
By Pablo Escribano, RO San Jose
The Museum of Immigration in the Brazilian city of São Paulo opened on 27 April a new exhibition entitled “Move: Climate and Displacement” which explores the impacts of climate change on human mobility and aims to familiarize the general public with this issue.
The exposition was developed in a close partnership between the Museum of Immigration and the UN team in Brazil, along with other partners. The space is divided in three segments – “A time to know”, “A time to act” and “A time to feel” – and includes multiple supports to share stories, including data and evidence, videos and virtual reality features.
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Local Authorities in Coastal and Mountain Areas of Peru Improve Action on Climate Hazards and Human Mobility
By Pablo Escribano, RO San Jose
At the outcome of a capacity building programme designed with policymakers, IOM delivered two training events for local authorities of Piura (coastal region) and Huaraz (Andean area) in Peru, focused on climate risks and human mobility processes. Both regions were selected under a project funded by the IOM Development Fund given their high exposure to a wide range of climate hazards, notably including drought, sea level rise and coastal degradation in Piura as well as glacier melt, landslides, water scarcity and glacial lake outburst floods in Huaraz.
Following these training sessions, IOM will build a group of trainers within regional authorities to further deliver capacity building support to local actors. This will ensure the sustainability of efforts and the capacity for partners to identify critical priorities in terms of climate adaptation from a human mobility perspective.
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Disaster Displacement Preparedness at the Forefront of Preparations in the Caribbean for the Forthcoming Hurricane Season
By Pablo Escribano, RO San Jose
A project supported by the United Nations Trust Fund on Human Security and carried out by IOM, , the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), brought together stakeholders from Eastern Caribbean countries, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica in Port of Spain on 8-9 May 2024 to enhance preparedness on disaster displacement.
The workshop included an initial tabletop simulation exercise designed to test the adequacy and implementation of a protocol on cross-border displacement for people who may leave their countries in the wake of a large scale disaster, as was the case during the 2017 hurricane season. The second segment of the event enabled the review of the disaster displacement scorecard piloted to assess capacities to manage displacement.
The workshop included a large focus on the integration of human security perspectives in disaster displacement management in order to meet the needs of the most vulnerable populations.
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A Roadmap on the Climate Change and Human Mobility Nexus Discussed with Government Stakeholders in Colombia
By Pablo Escribano, RO San Jose
Seizing the historical moment opened by the publication of Constitutional Court sentence T123-2014, government stakeholders in Colombia gathered in Bogota on 16 May during a one-day event to define agenda items for an enhanced attention to the human mobility and climate change nexus in the country.
The Colombian Constitutional Court released in April 2024 a new sentence which gives response to a request that was launched by a couple of elderly persons displaced by floods of the river Bojabá. The sentence acknowledges environmental displacement, recognizes a wide range of human rights that need to be protected and calls for the development of a dedicated normative framework.
During the 16 May workshop, multiple agencies of the Colombian government discussed priority initiatives to improve action on human mobility and climate change from different perspectives, including issues surrounding climate action and the peace process, national development planning, disaster risk management and the topic of data and evidence.
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Guatemalan Stakeholders Gear Up for Enhanced Attention to Human Mobility in Loss and Damage Discussions
By Pablo Escribano, RO San Jose
On 16 May 2024, stakeholders from multiple areas of government action in Guatemala, including the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Executive Secretariat of the National Coordination of Disaster Risk Reduction, the General Secretariat for Planning and the Ministry of Agriculture, gathered to discuss the integration of human mobility considerations in loss and damage assessments.
As international processes associated with climate change have increasingly integrated human mobility, especially including the new Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, it has become critical to advance reliable measurements of the impacts of disasters in terms of displacement and planned relocation. The workshop enabled a discussion on how multiple agencies measure disaster impacts and the identification of opportunities to better integrate human mobility concerns.
The workshop was organized in the framework of the Project to Avert, Minimize and Address Displacement Related to the Effects of Climate Change (PAMAD) funded by NORAD in collaboration with the Guatemalan Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD).
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IOM Works to Support Flood Victims in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
By Pablo Escribano, RO San Jose
The devastating and unprecedented floods in Rio Grande do Sul that have ravaged the state since the end of April reveal the harsh reality of the impacts of disasters intensified by climate change, claiming lives and displacing communities. As affected people face this tragic situation and the prospect of reconstruction, their vulnerabilities increase.
IOM has been working together and in coordination with the Government of Rio Grande do Sul and local actors in response to this event. A team is mobilised to meet the demands for technical support regarding the management of accommodation areas that are receiving people in need of shelter, as well as contributing to the diagnosis of social protection needs carried out by the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance.
Read more
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EU, IOM Launch New Partnership
to Address Climate Displacement in Asia-Pacific
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IOM Boosts Palau's Disaster Readiness
with Container Units Handover
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Enhancing Climate Mobility Education at UN University
By Christopher Richter and Lorena Ciuffreda, RO Bangkok
In May 2024, IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) rolled out a jointly developed post-graduate course on Climate Justice and the Right to Education. The lectures were organized in a hybrid format with UNU professionals present in person and IOM colleagues participating online.
IOM conducted lectures over three separate weeks, including definitions, causes, scenarios, data challenges, and climate mobility governance in the Asia-Pacific region, outlining gaps and potential solutions. The lectures were delivered by staff from IOM’s Climate Action Division (CAD) and the Regional Data Hub (RDH).
The rollout of the course was part of ROAP’s youth engagement strategy on climate mobility, and was intended to raise awareness about the climate change and human mobility nexus among young students, especially highlighting the importance of establishing regional policy and legal frameworks in the Asia-Pacific region. The classes included interactive activities such as quizzes and debates, which saw the active engagement of the students and fostered critical thinking on the topic.
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Recovery Efforts Continue after Papua New Guinea Landslide,
over 2,000 Feared Dead
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Key Achievements of the KDMECC as of April 2024
By Lisa Lim Ah Ken and Wendy Adhiambo, RO Nairobi
In July 2022, ministers of 11 countries in the East and Horn of Africa signed the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC), a landmark document that recognizes the nexus between migration, environment, and climate change in the region.
Almost two years later, the KDMECC has grown in recognition, and more governments in the East and Horn of Africa are prioritizing the urgency to address climate change impacts on human mobility.
As of April 2024, achievements of the declaration are already visible, including:
- Setting up of governance structures for KDMECC implementation
- Agreeing upon a Plan of Action for the KDMECC implementation.
- Evidence and capacity enhancement on human mobility in the context of climate change for the KDMECC signatory states.
- Collaboration and knowledge sharing on human mobility in the context of climate change at regional and global levels.
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Advancing Climate Negotiations: Integrating Human Mobility into UNFCCC Discussions
By Lisa Lim Ah Ken and Wendy Adhiambo, RO Nairobi
IOM, as the secretariat of the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC) Expert Working Group convened lead climate negotiators in the East and Horn of Africa for a training on integrating human mobility into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) discussions.
The two-day workshop, which took place from 21-22 May 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, provided a platform for increased understanding of the nexus between migration, environment and climate in the region, as well as the impacts of climate change on human mobility. Lead climate negotiators were actively engaged in interactive sessions on position finding – both regional and individual – on the topic of climate change and human mobility, particularly on how climate change is impacting human mobility patterns in their countries. From the training, negotiators left better equipped to advance climate mobility into loss and damage, adaptation, and finance negotiations being held under the UNFCCC processes.
Watch the highlights
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Youth Solutions on Climate Mobility in the East and Horn of Africa - Twitter Space
By Lisa Lim Ah Ken and Wendy Adhiambo, RO Nairobi
As part of the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC) Youth Action Plan in the East and Horn of Africa region, one of the key activities to contribute to the KDMECC and youth commitments is raising climate mobility awareness and facilitating knowledge exchange between and among youth and experts.
Therefore, to highlight innovative solutions and amplify the voices of youth leaders addressing opportunities and challenges of climate mobility for sustainable development, a one-hour twitter space was hosted at the IOM Regional Office for East and Horn of Africa Twitter page on 22 May 2024.
The space strengthened connections and collaboration among youth leaders, relevant stakeholders, and organisations working on climate resilience and migration issues, and called on individuals and communities to take action and contribute to sustainable solutions for climate mobility.
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Floods Displace Thousands in East Africa;
IOM Calls for Sustained Efforts to Address Climate Mobility
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Spotlight on Diaspora Engagement for
Climate Action
By Shuva Thapa and Martina Castiglioni, RO Vienna
Climate change is a global threat that requires the mobilisation of the whole-of-society. Although diaspora communities are among the first to respond when disasters strike, their potential to contribute to climate action remains largely untapped. Funded by the IOM Development Fund, the Diaspora for Climate Action project aims to strengthen global action on climate change through diaspora engagement in priority sectors identified by national governments. As part of this project, IOM UK alongside external facilitators including from the Commonwealth Secretariat, Media Trust, Sustainability Leadership Kosova and an independent consultant, held a two-day interactive workshop in London on 11-18 May 2024 with sixteen diaspora members from Bangladesh, Ghana, Jamaica, Moldova, and Somalia.
The workshop was designed to equip participants with the tools to lead climate action initiatives, mobilise other diasporas and engage in meaningful dialogues with governments and key stakeholders at national and international levels. Day 1 of the workshop focused on strategic partnerships, leadership, and strategic communications. Day 2 focused on the terminology, frameworks and funding issues related to climate change. By the end of the workshop, diasporas collaboratively developed and discussed proposed solutions to address a climate action priority in their country of heritage, including ideas on waste management, climate finance and awareness raising. Diaspora members actively participated in the workshop by sharing inspiring stories from their professional and personal experiences. Some of these stories were captured by IOM’s Goodwill Ambassador, Paul Choy, through videos, interviews and pictures, and will be featured at future exhibitions in the UK and beyond.
Watch a video animation that illustrates some real-life stories of diaspora engagement in climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience building.
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IOM Romania's First Workshop on Migration, Environment and Climate Change
By Sinziana Puscas and Iulia Duca, IOM CAD HQ Geneva
From 15-16 May 2024, IOM Climate Action Division Headquarters and IOM Romania organized the first internal workshop on the links between migration, environment, and climate change in Bucharest. The workshop focused on enhancing the knowledge and capacity of more than 15 IOM Romania staff on the migration-environment-climate change nexus. The aim was to explore ways to integrate climate action into their programming and dialogue with relevant stakeholders at the national level.
The workshop was structured as an interactive and participatory learning session, using a mix of presentations, group discussions, case studies, and exercises. The topics covered several topics like policy frameworks and instruments on migration, environment, and climate change at the international and regional level, and shared best practices and lessons learned from IOM's projects on migration, environment, and climate change in other regions and countries. The participation of representatives from the Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations further enriched the dialogue, highlighting the importance of collaboration in addressing the challenges at the intersection of these critical issues.
The workshop was a valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge, good practices and to foster a common vision and commitment for climate action within IOM.
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Middle East and North Africa
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Joint Programme Launched to Support Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon in Climate Change Response
By Masako Ueda and Mateo Merchan, RO Cairo
On 04 April 2024, in Cairo, Egypt, IOM Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for Arab States joined forces to launch the joint M- Migration Multi-partner Trust Fund (MMPTF) programme on “Harnessing synergies between Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Reduction in Migrant-Inclusive Health System Responses” in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon.
The launch event constituted a significant opportunity to bring together all three agencies’ Regional Directors and Deputy Chief, the target countries’ Resident Coordinator and Officer-in-Charge, representatives from the UN Network on Migration Secretariat, UNDRR country focal points, and in-country and regional programme leads, to re-confirm their commitment and engagement to work towards strengthening the resilience of health systems and migrant populations to climate change and disaster risks by incorporating an inclusive and gender-sensitive human mobility lens into national public health adaptation and risk reduction strategies across all three countries.
The event hosted a press conference that garnered substantial media attention, drawing journalists from both local and regional outlets, both in person and online. This broad engagement facilitated the widespread dissemination of the programme's main objective and aspirations in the target countries, enhancing awareness and understanding.
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Migration, Environment and Climate Change Workshop in Egypt
By Masako Ueda and Mateo Merchan, RO Cairo
From 12-13 May 2024, IOM Egypt, with support from the IOM Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa and other relevant thematic specialists, hosted a two-day capacity building workshop in Cairo, Egypt to strengthen the government as well as other key stakeholders’ understanding of and engagement in the interlinkages of migration, environment and climate change in the context of the country.
This workshop, the first of a series of climate action-related workshops with the Egyptian government, brought together 26 participants (19 female, 7 male), including government officials from the Ministries of Environment, Agriculture, Health, and Manpower and the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, academia, and youth representatives, providing a platform to introduce the appropriate terminology and share relevant data and evidence on climate mobility in relation to UNFCCC and its workstreams, and cross-thematic linkages with labour mobility and health, relating to environmental and climate migration in Egypt. Also, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) delivered a presentation on National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) in efforts to support the NAP formulation process in Egypt.
This workshop allowed the participants to collectively identify priority sectors and geographical areas in Egypt in view of climate mobility issues , key stakeholders, and next steps to collaborate for advancing the climate migration discussions and engagement in the country.
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Addressing Knowledge Gaps in Climate, Peace and Security with a Focus on Human Mobility
By Masako Ueda, RO Cairo
On 15 May, IOM, jointly with the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding in Africa (CCCPA) and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), organized a hybrid event on “Addressing Knowledge Gaps in the Nexus of Climate, Peace and Security and its Intersection with Human Mobility”. The event was organized in relation to the COP 27 Presidency’s Climate Responses for Sustaining Peace (CRSP) initiative, especially Pillar 3 on “advancing durable solutions for climate-displacement nexus.” IOM’s Director of Climate Action delivered the opening remarks, jointly with the CCCPA Director General and the NUPI Research Professor.
IOM presented its policy paper from the MENA region, highlighting an analytic framework to understand the context-specific climate change, conflict and migration nexus. The event was attended by over 50 national (Egyptian), regional and international partners.
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Promoting Entrepreneurship and Creating Green Jobs for Host and Displaced Communities in Mali
By Mariame Dramé, IOM Mali
From the 16-21 April 2024 a training of 150 young people took place in the region of Douentza and Bandiagara in the center of Mali. This training aimed to contribute to enhance the trainees’ livelihoods and facilitate their adaptation to climate shocks, by promoting entrepreneurship in the green sector and the creation of green jobs, with a particular emphasis on improving access to renewable energies.
The training covered business management and simplified accounting, with a particular focus on a business plan module. The trainees submitted their business plans to a competition, and the 75 most viable plans were selected to receive a start-up kit valued at EUR 1,000 each. Additionally, these 75 young people will benefit from technical training in the renewable energy sector.
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Research Database Updates
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Climate Smart Development for Internal Migration and Urbanization in Jamaica
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The Caribbean Environmental Migration Legislative Landscape With Regards to LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Evacuation Processes:
Gaps and Recommendations
READ
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Planning Considerations for a Financing Mechanism to Address Climate Mobility in Africa
An assessment of the current financing architecture, appropriate financial instruments and potential partnerships
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Migration in the Context of Climate and Environmental Changes within Central Asia and to the European Union and the Russian Federation
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Solar Energy Delivers Clean Water to Drought-Affected Families in Ethiopia
READ
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Ripples of Change: Durable Water Solutions Reshape Communities Along Yemen’s West Coast
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- IOM | Head, Climate Mobility Innovation Lab, P4 (Kenya) - Apply by 03 July
- IOM | Head, Climate Mobility Innovation Lab, P4 (Thailand) - Apply by 04 July
- IOM | Head, Climate Resilience and Human Security, P4 - Apply by 04 July
- IOM | Thematic Specialist (Climate Policy), P3 - Apply by 04 July
- IOM | Programme Officer (Climate Resilience), P2 - Apply by 04 July
- IOM | Chief, Climate Mobility Innovation Lab Unit, P5 - Apply by 04 July
- IOM | Thematic Specialist (Climate Action Partnerships), P3 - Apply by 04 July
- IOM | Programme Officer (Climate Action), P2 - Apply by 08 July
- IOM | Thematic Specialist (Climate Resilience), P3 - Apply by 08 July
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