Experts from Asia and the Pacific, the US and Europe are meeting in
Bangkok today to discuss the impact of climate change on
displacement.

The two-day Dialogue on Climate-Induced Migration in Asia and
the Pacific workshop, hosted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
and IOM, follows an earlier meeting held in Geneva on 9th June and
is part of a major ADB technical assistance project launched in
September 2010 to develop policy and financing options to address
climate-induced migration in the region.

The 36 invited participants, who include policy makers,
practitioners and scholars, are discussing the project's initial
findings outlined in a draft report published in February. A final
report is expected by year end.

They are also expected to advise on draft policy
recommendations, including the feasibility of setting up a
financing facility, identify policy gaps and challenges in the
region, and discuss areas of future collaboration.

IOM Director for International Cooperation and Partnerships
Shahidul Haque, who is co-chairing the workshop, describes the
discussions as "preparing us for the potentially momentous
socio-economic and political impact of climate change-induced
migration in this region."

Asia and the Pacific are among the regions most likely to be
affected by climate change and climate-induced migration. They are
home to some 4 billion people or 60 per cent of the world's
population and have a relatively high degree of population
mobility, accounting for 30 per cent of the world's migrants.

For more information, please contact:

Chris Lom

IOM Bangkok

Tel: +66.819275215

E-mail: "mailto:clom@iom.int">clom@iom.int