The impacts of climate change are starkly visible in countries across the world. Extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and storms, but also long-term processes such as sea level rise, increasing day- and nighttime temperatures, soil degradation, and salinization affect households, communities, and societies. Agriculture, water resources, fisheries, and forestry are among the most climate-vulnerable sectors, but all aspects of national and local economies are faced with their own sets of risks, liabilities, and transformations.

Through these far-reaching impacts, climate change also influences the patterns of human mobility, the movement of people between rural and urban areas or across international borders. Human mobility can be described as a function of aspirations within a given set of geographical differences (perceived) opportunities. Such patterns of mobility are deeply interconnected with their broader socioeconomic environment and can be characterized by their duration, distance, direction, choice, motivation, and demographic background.

Researching climate change and human mobility

Migration and displacement can take many forms and affects not only migrants themselves but also host communities as well as those staying behind, which are in many cases women and children. Depending on the circumstances and the support received, human mobility can constitute a successful adaptation strategy or negatively affect physical health, mental health, social cohesion, livelihoods, and wellbeing of individuals, households and communities. It is therefore crucial to identify key challenges, strengthen the enabling environment of policies, laws, and support systems, and design interventions that are context-specific, locally led, and fit for purpose.

To contribute to a more comprehensive and robust understanding of this complex nexus, SLYCAN Trust is conducting thematic research and analysis on human (im)mobility in the context of climate change. With activities in Asia, Africa, and Europe, SLYCAN Trust aims to collect evidence, engage diverse stakeholders, and shed light on different sectors and aspects related to migration, displacement, and planned relocation. This includes connecting human mobility to climate change adaptation and resilience-building, food systems, risk management, sustainable development, human health, ecosystem conservation and natural resources, human-wildlife coexistence, livelihood diversification, landscape management, social protection, trade, entrepreneurship, just transition, informal employment, gender, youth, and special needs.

SLYCAN Trust’s research activities include the development of knowledge products, engagement with key actors and stakeholders on the international and national level, awareness creation and knowledge sharing through webinars and media outreach, and capacity-building of local communities. The current countries of focus include Sri Lanka, Ghana, and Niger, with country-level consultations and policy analysis conducted in all three countries in partnership and collaboration with government agencies, multilateral entities, and civil society organizations working on this thematic area, including IOM, CSOs in Ghana and Niger, and the governments of Ghana and Niger.

SLYCAN Trust’s work portfolio on climate change and human mobility

The following publications, recordings, articles, and blog posts have been developed and disseminated as part of this workstream so far:

1. Knowledge products

• Chapter on “Climate-Induced Migration in Sri Lanka: Vulnerability, Mobility, and Resilience” in Climate Change and Human Migration (Routledge, upcoming)
• Working Paper: Climate Change and Human Mobility in Niger (upcoming)
• Policy Brief: Climate Change and Human Mobility in Sri Lanka - Climate Impacts on Labour Migration (2022)
• Case Study on „The Impacts of Climate Migration on Communities in Anuradhapura and Trincomalee districts, Sri Lanka” in Loss and Damage Case Studies from the Frontline: A Resource to Support Practice and Policy (IIED/ICCCAD, 2021)
• Scoping Paper: Integrating Human Mobility into Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans (2022)
• UPDATED Briefing Note: Human Mobility in Nationally Determined Contributions (2022)
• Briefing Note: Human Mobility in Nationally Determined Contributions (2021)
• Working Paper: Climate Change and Human Mobility in Sri Lanka – Impacts and Actions Across Sectors (2020)
• Policy Brief: Climate Change and Human Mobility in Sri Lanka - Policies, Laws, and Processes (2020)
• Case Study: Climate Displacement and Internal Migration in Sri Lanka (2019)

2. Webinar series

• Addressing the Interlinks of Climate Risk, Food Systems, and Human Mobility (UNFSS Pre-Summit Parallel Session, 27.07.2021)
• Virtual Discussion on Human Mobility and Climate Change (in collaboration with the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives and Alliance Francaise de Kotte, 21.06.2021)
• Human Mobility and Climate-Related Policies and Processes (in collaboration with IOM, 01.06.2021)
• Climate Change and Human Mobility: Understanding Patterns and Actions Across Asia and Africa (18.12.2020)
• Climate-Induced Migration, Displacement, and the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage (30.07.2020)
• Rural and Urban Perspectives on Climate Migration (09.06.2020)
• Addressing Different Perspectives on Climate Migration and Displacement (29.05.2020)

3. Articles and blog posts

• Understanding links between climate change and labour migration (in Daily FT, January 2022)
• Increased Integration of Human Mobility in Updated and Revised Nationally Determined Contributions (June 2021)
• Human mobility in the context of climate change (in Daily FT, May 2021)
• Addressing Climate-Related Migration in Sri Lanka (September 2020)
• Article: Addressing Climate-Induced Migration and Displacement: Laws, Policies, Processes, and Vulnerable Communities (August 2020)
• Hollowed Lands: Climate Migration in Sri Lanka (in Earth Island Journal, February 2020)
• Article: Moving Grounds – Climate Migration and Refugees (June 2018)
• Article: Climate Migration – The New Wave of Refugees? (July 2018)

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We encourage other actors and stakeholders to engage with us in this endeavor and hope to facilitate an open and productive exchange of experiences, data, insights, good practices, and lessons learned on human mobility in the context of climate change. If you are working on this topic and would be interested in starting a conversation, please reach out to our Director: Research & Knowledge Management, Mr. Dennis Mombauer, under [email protected].

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