Excellencies,

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

IOM is honored and pleased to serve as a co-host of this event
with the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland to the United Nations.

It is an honour for me to speak today on behalf of the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) on the "Migration
and Global Environmental Change" Report, and I would begin by
commending the UK Government Office for Science and Foresight team
for this excellent contribution.

This is a landmark study. The Report draws on advice from some
350 contributing experts in more than 30 countries. More than 70
papers were commissioned to inform the analysis. IOM was very happy
to contribute modestly to the preparation of the report through
active participation in a series of High-Level Meetings.

I have three points that I would like to highlight. Under the
rubrics: (a) Key messages of the Report; (b) IOM’s
activities; and (c) thoughts on the way forward.

I. Key Messages of the Foresight
Report

The report will be very useful in helping to guide IOM's future
operational and policy work on migration and environmental change.
We agree with the Report's key messages.

The report substantiates that environmental considerations often
drive people to places that are already unsustainable themselves
from an environmental point of view -- such as coastal cities
subject to sea level rise.

The report also highlights that, those most vulnerable to the
impact of climate change are often those who do not have the means
to migrate. The Report cautions us, therefore, that some
populations will be trapped without access to migration as an
adaptation solution.

A key conclusion of the Foresight report is that we need to
change the way we think about migration and climate change. The
pervasive mindset is that migration represents a problem (or a
solution only of last resort). We need to change this mindset and
to recognize migration as "part of the solution".

Thus, we strongly agree with the Report's conclusion "it is
critical that emerging policy to promote adaptation to climate
change takes account of the role of migration".

There is a growing recognition among governments and the
international community that migration needs to be part of the
solution.

It is critical that human and social consequences of climate
change-- including its impact on human mobility—continue to
be included in a purposeful way in international discussions on
climate change.

II. IOM's Activities

IOM stands ready to help "operationalize" some of the key
findings of the Foresight report, based on IOM’s 20 years of
experience, since the 1990s, in responding to the migratory effects
of environmental change. And our research and publications on the
issue date back to the 1970s. IOM continues to implement a wide
variety of relevant activities. These include:

(a) Providing humanitarian response to displacement caused by
natural disasters (Haiti, Pakistan, e.g.);

(b) Promoting adaptation to gradual environmental degradation
through migration and development activities (e.g. IOM has
undertaken 500 projects in the past 10 years in response to
environmental migration for a combined total of US$ 280
million);

(c) Undertaking research, analysis and inter-state dialogue on
migration and climate change, including through the IOM governing
bodies.

This unprecedented challenge requires unprecedented partnership
– among governments, international organizations, civil
society, the private sector, and the academic world.

The Climate Change, Environment and Migration Alliance (CCEMA),
launched by IOM and the United Nations University is one such
useful platform to enhance research and share thinking.

Notwithstanding these efforts, major gaps remain in our
knowledge and understanding of environmental migration. Despite
progress, we still, for example, do not have reliable statistics on
just how many people are on the move now, and how many are likely
to be on the move in the future due to climate change.

Nor will we always be able to classify migration triggered by
climate change as either clearly forced or voluntary. Many
movements will likely be something in-between.

We do know, however, that:

• there will be an overall increase in the scale of migration and
  displacement;
• that the poorest and most vulnerable in risk-prone countries
  will bear the brunt of the impact of climate change;
• that for some of those affected, migration will be a last
  resort, a matter of survival;
• but that some will be able to use migration strategically as a
  positive adaptation strategy.

III. The way forward

I would like to suggest three key principles of action to
achieve effective adaptation in the face of environmental
migration:

1. Proactive planning and preparedness for natural disasters is
   essential. Being prepared will increase the resilience of
   vulnerable States and communities. Support in the form of national
   assessments, for example, must be undertaken now, and not wait
   until migration becomes a matter of survival. A number of
   governments are leading the way. They bring together all relevant
   ministries and others to hold national consultations on
   environmental migration -- to seek ways to mainstream migration
   into national adaptation policies. Bangladesh, for example, held
   such consultations earlier this year, with IOM’s technical
   support.
2. Developing integrated solutions that link climate change
   adaptation with disaster risk reduction and development is
   essential. Migration needs to be part of the response -- at the
   global level within the UNFCCC and the Hyogo Framework for Action.
   Such cross-sectoral approaches also need to be developed at the
   regional, national and local levels -- supported by appropriate,
   innovative financing systems.
3. Ensuring adequate financing. Those countries most vulnerable to
   the effects of climate change will require international support
   for effective adaption. On the other hand, this financial support
   must not be to the detriment of development assistance, already hit
   by the economic crisis. If developing countries are to build
   resilience, there must be adequate funding through appropriate
   channels.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our main challenge is how to manage
environmentally-induced migration systematically, rather than
simply "putting out fires". To do so, we need to remember several
things:

• the humanitarian implications of crises upon migration;
• migration's positive potential;
• the importance of finding ways and funding to strengthen
  migration as an instrument of adaptation; and
• to develop policies and practice that recognize the intrinsic
  linkages among migration, adaptation, disaster risk reduction,
  humanitarian response and development.