Environmental Migration Portal Newsletter

The Environmental Migration Portal Newsletter is produced as part of the "Migration, Environment and Climate Change: Evidence for Policy" (MECLEP) project, funded by the European Union and IOM Development Fund (IDF), implemented by IOM.

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Knowledge Platform on People on the Move in a Changing Climate
June 2015

Special issue for World Environment Day 2015

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Migration, Environment and Climate Change (MECC) Updates

World Environment Day 2015:
“Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care."

World Environment Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on the complex linkages that relate human beings to their environment. One in seven people on this planet is a migrant and the fact that they are on the move impacts the lives of billions more people.

Throughout history, human beings have migrated in search of opportunities and a better life. Migration is driven by many complex, socio-economic factors and often lies at the heart of a person’s wellbeing.

Some migrants leave in search of greater happiness and prosperity. Others are forced to move to escape persecution, conflict or natural disasters. But the reason that people migrate now more than ever before relates to depleted resources that have resulted in the loss of their livelihoods.

As more people are moving as a consequence of environmental degradation, we can no longer ignore the complex nexus between migration and the environment. The environment is now recognized as a major driver of migration. Migration, conversely, is also impacting more than ever before the environment of the migrants’ places of origin, transit and destination.

Photo © Alessandro Grassani 2013

MECLEP at European Development Day 2015

Thursday, 4 June 2015. 14:15 - 15:30.

Brussels, Belgium

[Left photo] The speakers: Ms. Agata Sobiech (DG DEVCO), Mr. Jonah Auka (Office of Climate Change and Development, Government of Papua New Guinea), and Dr. Frank Laczko (IOM).
[Right photo] IOM Deputy Director General, Laura Thompson visits the MECLEP stand . © IOM 2015

The European Development Days (EDD) was a unique opportunity with its unparalleled venue for the development community to share knowledge, lessons learnt and showcase achievements. The Practice Village was at the heart of the venue for forum participants to share innovative projects and research initiatives that are addressing development challenges.

The l ab on Migration, Environment and Climate Change: Evidence for policy co-organized by DG DEVCO of the European Commission and IOM, discussed human mobility in its different forms as a possible adaptation strategy and shared examples, opportunities and challenges of migration as an adaptation measure to environmental and climate change. The session presented evidence from the EU-funded project MECLEP project, the experience of the Government of Papua New Guinea and discussed the importance of the Paris Agreement to address human mobility and the issues related to policy formulation on this pertinent topic.

Bonn Climate Change Conference Side Event:
Climate displacement and Paris Agreement

Wednesday, 3 June 2015. 18:30 - 20:00.
Bonn, Germany

The Advisory Group on Climate Change and Human Mobility presented evidence on climate repercussions for the mobility choices of vulnerable communities and potential solutions. The UNFCCC side event was chaired by Koko Warner (UNU-EHS), a research consortium member of the MECLEP project, who introduced the Advisory Group and the entry points for the Paris agreement. Besides Jonah Auka of the Government of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, who shared his country’s need to link evidence to policy, speakers included the Norwegian Refugee Council's Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), The Nansen Inititative, IOM and UNHCR.

See below for the Advisory Group's publication: Human mobility in the context of climate change - Elements from the UNFCCC Paris Agreement

Photo © IOM 2015

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Climate Change and Security in Turkey: Challenges and Opportunities
28-29 May 2015
Ankara, Turkey

IOM Turkey, Bilkent University and Istanbul Policy Center co-organized the roundtable “Climate Change and Security in Turkey: Challenges and Opportunities – Turkish-German experts roundtable” in Ankara (28-29 May), at which relevant stakeholders discussed climate change and security.

Turkey, one of the largest international aid donors, is also prone to earthquakes and 98% of its population lives in an earthquake zone. Understanding the necessity of a dialogue on migration, environment and climate change (MECC), the workshop gathered academics, policy makers as well as NGOs and international organizations to discuss social consequences of climate changes in a country where the last major disaster, also known as the Van earthquake (2011), led to about 650 causalties and the displacement of 252 000 people.

With regard to migration trends, participants noted the need for data on mobility patterns and the close interlinkages of environmental and economic (ie. labour market) factors when looking into vulnerability factors of rural livelihoods. A follow up event is planned in Berlin in October.

MECLEP Project Updates

Jonah Auka of the Office for Climate Change and Development explaining how the research will link to policy (left). John Connell leading the MECLEP research on IDPs from Manam island (right). © IOM 2015 (Photos: Susanne Melde)

So far this year, researcher training workshops have been held in Haiti (Jan), the Dominican Republic (Apr), and in Madang, Papua New Guinea in May. The three-day thematic workshop (6-8 May 2015) was held by the MECLEP team, MECLEP's international research partner, Université de Liège and the survey team. Key informant interviews were conducted during the research training period with research being continued in the following month.

The next researcher training workshop took place in Viet Nam on the first week of June.

MECLEP VIDEO: Environmental Change, Natural Disasters and Human Mobility in Haiti

Environmental Change, Natural Disasters and Human Mobility in Haiti captures the environmental challenges that Haiti is facing. The film was produced during the field work carried out by IOM Haiti survey team while conducting the household surveys for the MECLEP project. The documentary depicts the measures people have taken to adapt to the changing environment: changes in housing material, changes in agricultural practices, remittances invested in adaptation measures, and people leaving the area to move within Haiti or to other countries.

Research Database Updates

Forced Migration: Disasters and displacement in a changing climate

Les migrations environnementales sont-elles mesurables?

Human mobility in the context of climate change - Elements from the UNFCCC Paris Agreement

Climate change, land degradation and migration in Mali and Senegal – some policy implications

Focus on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (MECC) at the 105th IOM Council

Migrations environnementales: gouvernance mondiale et expériences locales, contribution à l’étude des mobilités humaines

Search the database

Media Highlights and Updates

Upcoming Events

World Environment Day
Milan EXPO. Milan, Italy. 4-11 June 2015.

12th IMISCOE Annual Conference: Rights, Democracy and Migration
Geneva, Switzerland. 25-27 June 2015.

World Day to Combat Desertification
17 June 2015

TransRe International Short Course: Does Climate Change Move You?
University of Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand. 22-26 June 2015.

COST Workshop: Human migration and the Environment: Futures, Politics, Invention.
Durham University, UK. 28 June-1 July 2015.

West Africa: Promoting sustainable land management in migration-prone areas through innovative financing mechanisms - Sub-regional workshop
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. 7-9 July 2015.

MECLEP Haiti and Dominican Republic Policymaker Training Workshop
8-10 July 2015 and 13-15 July 2015.

MECLEP Mauritius Policymaker Training Workshop
July 2015.

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To share your research, publication, event, videos and more on the Environmental Migration Portal, contact meclep@iom.int.

This newsletter has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of IOM and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or of IOM

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