Human mobility in the context of climate change

As climate change progresses, both gradual shifts in the climate and the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events are exerting an ever-greater influence on human mobility, especially in terms of displacement, migration and planned relocation. Atoll countries and coastal regions in the Pacific, the Philippines and the Caribbean are impacted especially heavily by this trend. At the same time, governments and regional organisations in the affected regions and countries, as well as German and international cooperation organisations in general, lack relevant experience and proven approaches that would help them shape climate change-induced migration in a development-oriented way, reduce the (internal) displacement of people, and carry out relocation in a transparent, participatory and needs-oriented way.

adelphi provided support to the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in developing the first global project on human mobility in the context of climate change. Along with creating the project proposal and the accompanying gender and conflict analyses, adelphi carried out an audit mission in the Philippines. The project that has been developed focuses on expanding the knowledge base of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and of regional and partner organisations in the Philippines, the Caribbean and the Pacific, while also identifying, developing, testing out and improving experiences and approaches for dealing with human mobility in the context of climate change, as well as tailoring them to specific target groups. Approaches and experiences for handling migration in a development-oriented way, reducing and avoiding (internal) displacement, and – where it cannot be avoided though adaptation measures – guiding transparent, participatory and needs-oriented relocation are central to the project.