People on the Move in a Changing Climate – Linking Policy, Evidence and Action

Geneva – Climate change is reshaping migration patterns in every part of the world. Ahead of the 27th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is calling for urgent action on human mobility in contexts of climate change, environmental degradation and disasters. 

To support States and the wider international community in this implementation stage, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched its new flagship report. According to the IDMC's Global Report on Internal Displacement 2022, disasters linked to natural hazards led to 23.7 million internal displacements.  

The report, People on the Move in a Changing Climate – Linking Policy, Evidence and Action, provides communities, partners, governments and other UN agencies with guidelines to scale up the implementation of adaptative action. Specifically, it draws on existing knowledge and IOM’s experience of working with governments, other UN agencies and partners at different levels to outline the main aspects of the human mobility and climate change nexus from a policy perspective and put forward a series of recommended actions for policymakers.

The three recommendations include:  

• Providing Solutions for People to Stay: Averting and minimizing displacement though disaster risk reduction and in situ adaptation; 
• Providing Solutions for People on the Move: Minimizing and better addressing losses and damages, including displacement through anticipatory action; and 
• Providing Solutions for People to Move: Enabling safe and regular migration.