Climate Change and Sustainability

IOM recognizes the necessity to step up national, regional and international efforts to address human mobility challenges associated with environmental factors and climate change. IOM’s vision on migration, environment and climate change is that contemporary migration governance, policy and practice must reflect the significance of environmental, disaster and climate change factors on human mobility. Environmental factors must be integrated across all areas of migration management, such as: prevention, preparedness and response to displacement, border management, labour migration and integration, and return and reintegration.

IOM’s objectives concerning migration, environment and climate change are:

• To prevent forced migration that results from environmental factors to the extent possible;
• To provide assistance and protection to affected populations when forced migration does occur in situations of environmental and climate change, and to seek durable solutions to their situation;  
• To facilitate migration in the context of climate change adaptation and enhance the resilience of affected communities.