Abstract

Climate change and disasters are, and will continue to be, major drivers of migration and displacement. The poor are the most vulnerable to climate change, as they are likely to live in high-risk areas, have less means to prepare, and lack information to anticipate, and respond to, a disaster. Yet they are also the people who will find it hardest to migrate. National adaptation strategies must help those who are forced, or choose, to migrate as result of climate change. They must inform migrants of risk and build their capacity to cope in new locations. For those who are forced to move internationally, bilateral agreements and international frameworks must protect their rights. Migrants can put additional pressure on infrastructure and services at destination, and national policies need to factor in the needs and impact of new climate-induced migrants.