Every year, tens of millions of people migrate, are displaced or relocated from areas affected by the impacts of sudden-onset events and slow-onset processes, and many more might move in a future in which more vulnerable people will face more severe and frequent hazards. As such, human mobility in different forms will be an increasing visible form of coping strategy with positive or negative effects on people’s livelihoods, security and well-being depending on how the movement of people is planned, managed and resulting from an inclusive, consultative and rights-based decision-making process.

Protecting and assisting those on the move and their communities is key to reducing the direct and indirect, short-and long-term adverse impacts of climate change, including losses and damages. Integrating human mobility considerations in all adaptation interventions is key to reducing disaster risk, minimizing negative consequences on people’s life, the well-being of communities and the integrity of ecosystems. Failing to do so, instead, extends and compounds disasters, resulting in heightened exposure to violence, livelihood insecurity and poverty, reduced access to services, ill health, and further losses and damages for all affected populations.

Effective adaptation policies and programmes integrate measures to address the humanitarian and development implications of displacement-induced loss and damage, and to facilitate migration as a form of adaptation when necessary and through safe and regular migration pathways. To this end, migration, displacement and planned relocation considerations need to be present in all efforts across adaptation, development, migration management, disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

Objectives

The objective of this side event is to explore the whole spectrum of human mobility in the context of climate change, from displacement to migration and planned relocation, and to discuss available policy options at national, regional and international level to mitigate displacement-induced loss and damage and address migration as a form of adaptation. It will explore how governments and international actors seek to strengthen adaptation practices by integrating: understanding and monitoring of population movements; preparedness for displacement, migration, and planned relocation; operational responses in disaster contexts; and the achievement of durable solutions in recovery process. It will also discuss how climate finance mechanisms could support solutions for people moving in the context of climate change.

Location

The event will take place at the World Conference Centre in Bonn, Germany, on 14 June, 18:30-20:00 CEST in the meeting room Kaminzimmer. The event is open to all registered participants of SB 56. The side event will also be livestreamed on YouTube. 

Watch the livestream here.

Agenda

Moderator: Koko Warner, Manager, Vulnerability subdivision, Adaptation division, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Opening remarks: Manuel Marques Pereira, Head of the Migration, Environment, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Division, International Organization for Migration (confirmed, virtual)

Panel discussion (60 min)

• M. Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, People’s Republic of Bangladesh
• Country representative (TBC)
• Dr. Shamim Arfeen, Executive Director AOSED 
• Prof. Mizan R. Khan, Deputy Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) 
• Dr. Kayly Ober, Senior Advocate and Program Manager for the Climate Displacement Program at Refugees International 
• Julia Blocher, Project lead, Postdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) 
• Ghada Ahmadein, Technical Coordinator, Arab Network for Environment and Development RAED

Q&A session 

Wrap-up and closing: Koko Warner, UNFCCC