Displacement as a result of disasters has been a recurring and growing problem in the IGAD region.[1] In 2020, the region witnessed approximately 2.3 million persons newly forcibly displaced by disasters: an average of 100,000 disaster-displaced persons per month. When…
The link between climate change and increased human mobility is widely recognised, as are the gaps in legal protection for people who move in the context of climate change. Current protection frameworks tend to rely on a specific category of…
Floods and landslides are two of the deadliest hazards in Rwanda, causing injury, damage to public goods, and destruction of productive land, all of which have long-term economic impacts.[1] All too often the communities at the highest risk of climate-related…
Even the most stringent data collection exercises, such as national censuses, are subject to error. In humanitarian data collection exercises certain locations, types of location or population categories tend to be prioritised for assessment, reflecting government and stakeholder data needs…
Planned relocation – the permanent movement of whole communities to destination sites out of harm’s way – is recognised as a measure to reduce exposure to floods, sea level rise and other hazards, including those intensified by climate change. Over…
In November 2020, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama officially opened the newly relocated village of Narikoso on the island of Ono, Fiji. The project saw seven households moved to storm-resilient housing on higher ground to avoid recurrent inundation from rising sea…
Decisions around adaptation governance occur within a complex network of international and domestic actors and influences. National government officials are the primary conduits, usually with responsibility for choosing, funding and implementing adaptation policy, including relocation programmes. Yet, at the national…
Displacement linked to the impacts of disasters and climate change is at a record high. In 2020, there were nearly 31 million internal displacements due to disasters; by the end of 2020, some seven million remained displaced.[1] Much of this…
Conflict, violence, resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and sudden- and slow-onset events combine to create highly challenging situations that demand collaboration from sectors and actors across policy areas and society. These scenarios are particularly complex where, in moving towards safer areas…
Regional agreements for the free movement of persons between States offer a potential mechanism for those moving across international borders in the context of disasters and climate change to access safety and pursue alternative livelihoods. Unlike other, more limited frameworks…