27 April 2010: The UN Institute for Training and Reaserch (UNITAR) held a seminar on Environmentally Induced Migration and Climate Change on 20 April 2010, in New York, US. The event was part of the Migration and Development Series, which is supported by the International Migration Organization (IOM), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the MacArthur Foundation as partners.
The Seminar examined the role of sudden-onset disasters (storms, floods), as well as slow-onset environmental changes (desertification, droughts, land degradation, water scarcity) in propelling both internal and international migration. Participants discussed the linkages between migration and development and the environment, as well as the responsibilities of a range of actors and fields of intervention – from humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness to climate change adaptation and sustainable development.
During the seminar, participants highlighted that: uncertainties about the impacts of environmental degradation and climate change on migration remain; more emphasis needs to be put on the impact for developing countries of environmentally-induced migration; greater clarity about the legal frameworks applying and affording protection to those displaced by/or migrating from/environmental hazards is essential; it is important to ensure consistency between policies for development, environmental protection, climate change and migration; and building capacities in developing countries to implement policies that deal with migration as a result of climate change and environmental degradation is key. [Seminar Website] [IISD RS Sources]