5 January 2015: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Paris Institute for Political Science (Sciences Po) have jointly published a report, titled ‘The State of Environmental Migration 2014: A Review of 2013,’ which aims to enhance the understanding of links between natural disasters, including sudden natural onset events and slow onset events, and human mobility. The report seeks to raise awareness on the effects of climate change on the livelihoods of vulnerable populations.

The fourth in a series of annual publications, the report was written in collaboration with students enrolled in the environment and migration course at the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) of Sciences Po. Edited by François Gemenne, Pauline Brücker and Dina Ionesco, it examines the issue of environmental migration by analyzing case studies selected by students.

The report focuses on 2013 events by providing an overview of recent migration cases related to environmental or climatic factors across the world’s major regions. Additionally, it addresses longer-term impacts of natural events on migration. It considers key concepts as community resilience and social vulnerability and how resilience and vulnerability impact migration strategies. Furthermore, it provides examples of policy responses such as resettlement, national adaptation strategies, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and return and perspectives at the individual, community and national and regional levels. It stresses that climate change impacts on the livelihoods of vulnerable populations require a coordinated effort to manage, facilitate voluntary migration or prevent forced forms of migration when a massive displacement is likely to occur.

The publication consists of five main sections, namely Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and the ‘Special section.’ The section on Asia includes chapters on: recovery after typhoons Haiyan and Yolanda; typhoons in Viet Nam in the fall of 2013; evolvements and impacts of environmental migration in Inner Mongolia; and social vulnerability and environmental migration in Urmia Lake of Iran. The section on Africa addresses migration in Angola during the 2013 drought and out-migration from Karamoja, Uganda. The section on the Americas covers, inter alia: earthquake-induced internal displacement and cross-border migration on Hispaniola in 2013; the Haitian migration flow to Brazil in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake; the 2013 Colorado wildfires; and floods and displacement in Bolivia. The section on Europe discusses the impact of displacement in the 2013-2014 southern England winter floods. Finally, the ‘Special section’ deals with dam-induced displacement in Ethiopia and Kenya, and water management in Thailand.

IMO acknowledges that the migration, environment and climate change nexus has emerged as one of the thematic policy areas in expansion within national, regional and international migration and climate agendas. The report aims to provide information and knowledge on different environmental migration issues, and to engage with academic partners in the development of research, data and publications on this matter. [Publication: The State of Environmental Migration 2014: A Review of 2013]