Every year, millions of people move in the context of disasters. Disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity in the context of climate change. In 2019 alone, there were around 24.9 million newly displaced people due to disasters. Most of these people do not cross borders but are displaced internally within countries. This estimates only include people displaced in the context of sudden-onset events, while even more people move due to slow-onset changes and climatic stress.
There are several factors and reasons at the root of every displacement or decision to migrate (or not), interacting in complex patterns: a combination of social, psychological, cultural, political, financial, environmental and demographic factors. It is essential that policies consider this complex network.
At international policy level, human mobility was first recognized as a potential impact of climate change under paragraph 14f of the 2010 UNFCC Cancun Agreement, which called for “[m]easures to enhance understanding, coordination and cooperation with regard to climate change induced displacement, migration and planned relocation, where appropriate, at national, regional and international levels.” This theme aligns its understanding of what human mobility is as including these various forms of forced and voluntary movements. This theme will also aim to highlight recent research on human immobility or ‘trapped’ populations.
This theme aims to support a social network of practice for those working on and interested in human mobility (and immobility) in the context of disasters, the adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation. It provides a space for knowledge and experience sharing and discussions. It has been developed as part of the project Floating resilience: understanding climate change and human mobility in Thailand. The project is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
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