Building the capacity of climate-vulnerable states to migrate with

‘dignity’

Building the capacity of climate-vulnerable states to migrate with

‘dignity’

Contents

• What is environment and climate induced migration?• Causal factors of migration• Migration in the Pacific • Policy and international institutional gaps• Migration as part of overall development planning • EC-UN support for climate change migration in the

Pacific

Environmental migrants

International Organization for Migration (IOM):

“Environmental migrants are persons or groups of persons who, for compelling reasons of sudden or progressive change in environment that adversely affect their lives or living conditions, are obliged to leave their habitual homes, or choose to do so, either temporarily or permanently, and who either move within their country or abroad”

Environmental and climate-induced migration

• Migration is generally considered to be either ‘voluntary’ or ‘forced’ but environmental migration a gradient between these

• Persons migrating in part due to the experience of environment or climate-induced stress

• The bulk of environmental migration takes place within rather than between countries

Why is this important?

• It helps define the response: When and where to help?

• Migration framed as a potential adaptation response

Source: Black et al. (2011)

Conceptual framework for climate-induced migration

Migration in the Pacific

General trends:• Movement away from small islands• Movement toward more accessible coastal

locations • Urbanization• Youth ‘bulge’• Population pressure• Seasonal Worker schemes of NZ/Australia• Labour migration between PICs

Sub-regional differences in access to outside labor and residential opportunities• Melanesia: Limited outlets for migration

except for Fiji (large diaspora) • Micronesia: Kiribati and Nauru links with

Australia, north Pacific links to USA• Polynesia: Strong links to New Zealand

and USA

Migration in the Pacific

• Forced displacement of population of Banaba island (Kiribati) to Rabi Island (Fiji) in late 1940s by the colonial administration due to phosphate mining.

• Only instance of complete community relocation in the Pacific due to environmental reasons. Original population approx. 1,000 now 5,000

• Original Rabi islanders relocated to Taneuni. Ownership of Rabi island continues to be contested.

• Rabi island disproportionately poor (90% below poverty line) and suffer high rates of TB.

• Rabi islanders Fiji citizens and have seat in Kiribati parliament but face alienation and loss of identity and culture.

• Very high cultural, social, political, psychological and economic costs.• Forced community relocation should be an adaptation option of last resort

Displacement from Banaba to Rabi Island*

*Source: Campbell , J, ‘Climate change and migration: South pacific perspectives’ (2010)

• Respondents challenged the assumption that climate change will result in large-scale migration from Tuvalu

• Most respondents wanted to stay in Tuvalu

• Social responses to climate change are unpredictable and are determined by the perception of the problem and cost/benefit of the response

• People should have a choice to migrate but should not be left with no choice other than migration

• Migration can increase resilience to climate change (e.g through remittances) and expanding economic and social opportunities

• Danger of large-scale migration as a result of policy responses in anticipation of climate change rather than material changes in the actual environment

Climate change, migration and adaptation in Tuvalu*

*Mortreus and Barnett (2009)

• Requires a human rights based approach that recognizes migration as a potential adaptation measure

• If managed properly, migration can have positive effects for both migrants, and origin and destination communities

• Must not contribute to increased vulnerability of those who migrate and those who decide to stay

Migration with dignity

Majority of migration frameworks fall into two categories:1. Protecting migrant workers (e.g. ILO conventions)2. Humanitarian crisis and refugees (UNHCR, IOM, OCHA)

• Do not specifically offer protection to those affected by environment factors.

• Regional and global institutions not currently well equipped to address climate-induced migration.

• Not well addressed in UNFCCC

Gaps in global framework on migration

• Further integration of climate change adaptation into development planning

• Legal provisions for resettlement• Policy dialogue between countries about resettlement• Need to build overall resilience at community and national level• Economic growth limited, opportunity for green economy

approaches that focus on livelihoods• Optimize regional labor mobility opportunities• Strengthen re-integration services for returning workers• Strengthen urban planning • Continue to build the evidence base for informed policy making

Migration as part of development

• Increase the knowledge-base of labour migration flows, policies and practices in the Pacific, as well as the actual and projected impacts of climate change on migration in target countries

• Provide research-based policy advice on impacts and challenges of climate change for labour markets and migration, integrate responses into national and sectoral strategies

• Encourage development, expansion and good management of regional and bilateral labour migration schemes that benefit countries of origin and destination, and mitigate the impacts of climate change-induced displacement

• Enhance regional dialogue on the issue of climate change-induced migration and labour migration through existing regional mechanisms.

European Commission-UN Project: Enhancing the capacity of Pacific Island Countries to address the impacts of climate change on migration (2013-15)

Key messages

• Causality of migration is complex• More needs to be learnt on the dynamics of

migration in the Pacific and the potential impacts of climate change

• Causal factors for environment and climate induced migration have rapid and slow onset

• These require different policy responses nationally, and support regionally and globally

• Must be part of overall sustainable development planning

Investing in our Oceans, our People and our Future.