Government climate change, environment and migration experts
meeting in Geneva have developed a series of proposals aimed at
helping governments and institutions to better manage environmental
migration, which is expected to increase dramatically over the next
40 years.

The two-day workshop, organized as part of IOM's International
Dialogue on Migration 2011, focused on the complex interaction
between climate change, environmental degradation and human
mobility.

Between 25 million and 1 billion people may be displaced by
climate change by 2050 as the planet experiences ever more frequent
and intense natural disasters such as earthquakes and flash floods,
as well as gradual environmental degradation, such as
desertification and rising sea levels.

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title="">International Dialogue on Migration: Climate Change,
Environmental Degradation and Migration

Participants identified three main areas in which governments
and institutions should build capacity in order to minimise forced
migration, ensure assistance and protection and help migrants find
long-lasting solutions to their situations. They also explored how
migration could be used as an adaptation strategy to climate
change.

They agreed that capacity building should focus on building
knowledge and improving data collection; strengthening policy,
institutional, administrative and legal frameworks; and reinforcing
operational and technical capacities.

For each of these areas they proposed a number of possible
future activities, including developing a strategic research
agenda, extending regional consultation and cooperation and
developing preparedness measures and programmes to prevent and
manage displacement and to minimise the impact of forced migration
in natural disaster scenarios. These include measures such as early
warning systems and contingency planning.

During the discussions, it was agreed that inclusive and
participatory processes should be adopted, focusing on local
communities and that the emphasis should be on building capacities
in the developing and least developed countries that are at the
greatest risk of suffering the effects of environmental degradation
and climate change.

For more information, please contact:

Karoline Popp

IOM HQ

Tel: +41.22.717.9402

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