Last year, at the first meeting of the Berlin Forum on Climate Mobility, leaders from vulnerable countries in Africa, South Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean and other regions drew attention to an urgent but often ignored reality: climate change is not only a threat to the planet, but also to people’s homes. The growing intensity of its effects forces the most exposed communities to make increasingly difficult decisions. Despite increasing risks, some people remain in their places to preserve their cultural traditions and livelihoods; But others feel that they have no choice but to abandon their homes, and there have been cases of entire communities being displaced.
It is clear that this problem does not allow a solution at the individual level. There was broad consensus at the Forum that governments should allocate resources to the most urgent needs and help communities plan adaptation measures. But a year later, on the eve of the Forum’s second meeting on June 18-19, global and national policy frameworks are still inadequate and fragmentary.
When sudden disasters (storms, floods, forest fires, etc.) cause the displacement of people, national emergency response programs are responsible for providing aid and assistance, with varying degrees of success. But once the emergency phase is over, the displaced may find themselves unable to rebuild or return to their homes, and that requires long-term solutions. Although most climate displaced people do not cross borders, those who do face an additional challenge: they often do not fit into the definition of refugees under international law, which leaves them in a legal limbo that makes their protection difficult.
The situation is complicated where climate change generates a gradual deterioration of living conditions. Although climate displacement is a matter of necessity and not choice, there are still very few formal mechanisms to provide assistance to those who migrate from the countryside to the city or legal status to those who migrate abroad. And those who stay in the affected areas risk sinking deeper into poverty and becoming more vulnerable. Climate negotiations, migration pacts and disaster risk reduction frameworks are part of the solution, but they do not offer a comprehensive response, as they are compartmentalized and reactive initiatives; This leaves communities ill-prepared for climate risks.
It is urgent to adopt another approach. A crucial first step is to find a shared vocabulary for this complex and deeply human reality. The concept of “climate mobility” precisely encompasses the different types of movement (forced displacement, planned migration and relocation, as well as the risk of immobility) motivated by the adverse effects of sudden or slow-onset climate disasters, which may affect a single country or several.
The next thing is to design an appropriate course of action, the objective of which is the Global Principles on Climate Mobility that will be presented for approval. approval at this month’s Forum meeting.
These voluntary, non-binding principles are designed to complement and consolidate existing international law and government commitments, including the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Global Compact on Migration and the Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda. Above all, they offer shared objectives (the defense of people’s agency and human rights, as well as the adequacy of adaptation measures to local realities) that can serve as a unifying axis for the various sectors and stakeholders.
The principles include protecting people’s right to remain in their places of origin (through climate action and adaptation measures with local leadership) and providing safe, legal and dignified pathways for those who must or choose to move. On a more general level, they aim to ensure the creation of legal frameworks for people displaced by climate; preserve the sovereignty of countries threatened by rising seas; safeguard cultural heritage; and provide the most exposed communities with climate information, early warning systems and financing. It is the coherent framework that was missing from the international response.
Against the prevailing idea that geopolitical competition reduced the scope for international cooperation, these principles are receiving increasing support. Voluntary coalitions of countries, cities, civil organizations, indigenous groups, private companies and affected communities are proof that it is possible to forge a new multilateralism. Although some governments withdraw from global commitments, a consensus is emerging around the importance of focusing on people and data to achieve tangible results in the fight against climate change.
Approval is just the first step, then comes implementation. The second Berlin Forum on Climate Mobility seeks to initiate a broad multi-sector process that puts these principles into practice. The objective is to establish committed coalitions that include affected communities, promoting governments, regional organizations, the United Nations system, financial institutions and experts, with a view to presenting a community roadmap for the transition by June 2027.
Climate change is already uprooting communities and impoverishing those who remain in vulnerable areas. But if we act with vision of the future and solidarity, we will ensure that the displaced retain their rights and that those who stay do so with dignity. The Global Principles on Climate Mobility show a path towards that future; Our duty is to choose to follow Him.
*This article was originally published in Project Syndicate.
