By Walter Kälin, Envoy of the Chair of Platform on Disaster Displacement; Switzerland

Fifteen years ago in Cancun, the Parties to the UNFCCC explicitly recognised that displacement, migration and planned relocation are among the key challenges of climate change adaptation. Ten years ago, 109 countries endorsed the Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda, which identified effective tools to address these challenges, and COP21 in Paris established the Task Force on Displacement, recognizing that human mobility often results in loss and damage rather than adaptation gains. At the time, it was unclear to those involved in these processes what the impact of these important steps would be. The topic remained rather marginal, negotiations at COPs were notoriously difficult, and necessary measures did not keep pace with realities on the ground.

Today, the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage and its Task Force on Displacement provide the forum for sustained policy discussions; the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage is mandated to finance, among others, migration-related projects; and the Santiago Network can catalyse technical assistance in this area. Thus, as the contributions in this publication show, human mobility has become a legitimate issue that is now mainstreamed in much of the work under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.

And yet, all too often support does not reach those most affected by adverse effects of climate change. Even worse: People displaced under such circumstances not only lose their homes and livelihoods and become poorer, but also run the risk of becoming victims of exploitation and human rights abuses. Those who are willing or unable to move may even be worse off. The lack of robust mitigation and adaptation efforts adds to the fragility of States that are already affected by economic crises, conflict and dysfunctional governance systems, all of which contribute to further displacement and migration.

That is why we cannot be satisfied with what has been achieved at COP29 and beyond. Continuing work on indicators and other technical aspects relevant to human mobility remains extremely important. At the same time, there is a risk that the big picture will get lost in bureaucratic details and negotiating tactics that pursue short-term interests. Mobility is the human face of global warming. It is important to ensure that this issue remains high up on the agenda of relevant stakeholders. While the Loss and Damage Fund needs more resources, developing stronger synergies between the Fund and IFIs to ensure that the latter systematically integrate climate-related human mobility into their work would contribute to its catalytic function and effectiveness at scale. The Santiago Network and other actors are well advised to ground their work in a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted dynamics and multi-causality of displacement and migration and its underlying structural causes, even when the adverse effects of climate change are at the forefront. Promoting approaches based on the human rights of those affected and ensuring real participation by affected communities are crucial to achieving sustainable solutions. In other words, human mobility in the context of climate change is a multifaceted challenge that cannot be considered in isolation, but requires a high degree of coherence and close cooperation between policy areas. The articles in this issue are a welcome contribution to achieving this goal.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of AIDMI.