1. Md. Shahidul Haque Director, IOM, Geneva
Climate Change Vulnerability and Migration: Nexus, Challenges and Responses
Md. Shahidul Haque Director, IOM, Geneva
Climate Vulnerable Forum Ministerial Meeting November, Dhaka

2. Introduction
Vulnerability is highly contextual to geographical, socio-economic, gender and age factors
Three ways to look at climate change vulnerability and migration nexus:
First: Displacement / forced migration can be a manifestation of climate change vulnerability
Second: Mass population flows can create new vulnerabilities for mobile populations, as well as for their communities of origin and destination
Third: Migration can also be a strategy to reduce vulnerability to climate change

3. Climate Change Vulnerability and Migration
Displacement / forced migration can be a manifestation of climate change vulnerability
High exposure to climatic events and processes, combined with low resilience / adaptation capacity leaving no choice but to move
Result of lack of alternatives, low levels of development, marginalization, low preparedness…
© International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

4. Climate Change Vulnerability and Migration
Migration can create new vulnerabilities
Risks incurred during the movement phase
Displacement onto more marginal lands / into hazardous and precarious conditions (e.g. urban slums)
Prolonged displacement (e.g. in camps)
Protection challenges (uncertainty of status)
Challenges for those who stay behind
© IOM MPK0049 (Photo: Meral Jabucar)

5. Climate Change Vulnerability and Migration
Migration can be a strategy to reduce vulnerability
Migration as a survival strategy
“last resort”, in the event of impending or acute natural disaster
Migration as an adaptation strategy
manages risks
reduces reliance on the environment for subsistence
allows for livelihood and income diversification
Trapped populations  vulnerability of those who cannot move
© IOM October 2009

6. Conceptualization A working definition
“Environmental migrants are persons or groups of persons who, for compelling reasons of sudden or progressive change in the environment that adversely affects their lives or living conditions, are obliged to leave their habitual homes, or choose to do so, either temporarily or permanently, and who move either within their country or abroad.”
IOM 2007

7. Drivers of Environmental Migration
Climate change as an aggravating factor Climate change as an aggravating factor Climate change as an aggravating factor
Environmental factors:
Sudden onset
Slow onset
Environmental degradation
Individual
Cultural
Social
factors
Economic factors
Political factors
Environmental
Migration

8. Responses to Environmental Migration Vulnerability
Migratory responses:
First: Prevent forced migration resulting from environmental factors to the extent possible.
Second: Provide assistance and protection to affected populations where forced migration does occur, and to seek durable solution to their situation.
Third: Facilitate migration as an adaptation strategy to climate change.

9. Managing Environmental Migration
1. Prevent forced migration, facilitate migration as adaptation
5. Address long-term challenges: durable solutions, migration, development and adaptation
Address Prevent Prepare Manage Mitigate
2. Prepare for displacement and relocation
4. Mitigate impacts of forced or mass migration
3. Manage migration: assistance and protection 9

10. IOM’s Role and Responsibility
Policy
Policy dialogue (national, regional, international)
Focus on coherent and proactive policymaking
Research
Inter-disciplinary research and publications
Links between research and policy communities
Operations
Humanitarian response to displacement induced by natural disaster / complex emergencies
Global cluster lead for Camp Coordination and Management in Natural Disasters
Reducing vulnerability and promoting adaptation to environmental and climate change

11. IOM Experience Mauritius Sudan
Drought, water scarcity and conflict –
Vulnerability mapping for durable solutions to displacement
Sea-level rise and gradual environmental change –
Sustainable development and climate change adaptation against migration pressures
© IOM MSD0247 (Photo: Sunil Srivastava)

12. IOM Experience Bangladesh Eastern Africa
Cross-border pastoralism, resource scarcity and conflict –
Ensuring pastoralist livelihoods, enabling adaptation through mobility
Disasters, erosion and sea-level rise –
Emergency response, disaster risk reduction and capacity building
© Sven Torfinn/IOM MSD0142

13. IOM Experience Haiti Myanmar High vulnerability, low preparedness –
Emergency response, urgent health care and shelter assistance for the displaced
Degradation and disasters, cumulative vulnerability, complex emergencies –
Disaster risk reduction and livelihood stabilization
© International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

14. IOM Experience Azerbaijan Colombia Environmental vulnerabilities –
Water scarcity and migration pressures –
Traditional adaptation strategies to stabilize livelihoods
Environmental vulnerabilities –
Adaptation through temporary labour mobility
Protecting the most vulnerable –
Regional capacity building in disaster risk reduction
© IOM MAZ0016 (Photo: Jean Philippe Chauzy)

15. Way Forward Manage knowledge and improve data
Enhance capacities: policy, legal instruments, institutional structure and operational mechanisms
Build comprehensive migration policies: migration, adaptation, development, disaster risk management
Operationalize migration: as adaptation and disaster risk reduction strategies
Mobilize resources: integrated policy development and planning
Commit politically at high level: dialogue, partnerships and empowerment of affected people

16. Thank you
and
Discussion