Climate Change and Displacement in Asia: emerging trends, available evidence and building resilience now

In a virtual event co-hosted by the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBAP) and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection opened by outlining how climate change exacerbates the vulnerabilities of those already displaced, such as with Cyclone Mocha in Bangladesh and Myanmar in 2023. She further called for an emphasis on building resilience and identifying solutions, citing the recent agreement between Australia and Tuvalu to arrange a special human mobility pathway allowing Tuvaluans to live, study and work in Australia permanently.

Dr. Katrina Kosec, Leader of the CGIAR Research Initiative on Fragility, Conflict and Migration, noting the Asia-Pacific region is disproportionately affected by extreme weather events and slow onset hazards, leading to the displacement of millions every year, elaborated that in researching the knock-on effects of past floods in Pakistan, affected communities were found to aspire and invest less in their futures. This underscores the importance of supporting systems-based approaches to build resilience and partnerships along the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, and in continuing to build the evidence base on the impact of climate change on vulnerable displaced populations.

Finally, panelists from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, and the Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao, along with the High Commissioner’s Special Advisor on Climate Action, discussed emerging trends and available evidence in the region. The discussion highlighted that that international refugee and human rights law provide some protection for people displaced in the context of climate change, but there are gaps and challenges in their application. Panelists emphasised that partnerships between researchers, practitioners, and affected communities are essential for generating and sharing relevant knowledge, especially at the local level, while building resilience and adaptation strategies requires not only adequate and predictable financing, but technical support and ultimately political will.