Understanding Migration, Environment Degradation And Climate Change (MECC)

While the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) 2012 addresses objectives such as assessing vulnerabilities and health impact, disaster management, human resettlement and land use, it fails to address the importance of human mobility.  Therefore, there is a necessity at the national level to implement context-appropriate programmes to ensure well-managed and coordinated migration in relation to climate change.

As such, this project intends to mainstream human mobility considerations / migration into climate change & environmental strategies.

In 2018, IOM led the joint rapid assessment on Migration, Environment and Climate Change in Sri Lanka (MECC) with FAO and WFP and the study outcomes revealed that migration is thus far significant as a coping mechanism rather as a definite option to environment degradation and climate change.

Building upon the literature gathered from this early study, the current advanced study in the context of MECC is conducted with a community integration project activity with a special focus on women empowerment in climate resilient livelihood development. Hence, this project also aims to contribute to improved evidence-based strategies and programming to assist people moving in the context of disasters and climate change in Sri Lanka. Two key components will underpin the achievement of this objective.

The first key component proposed by this project is to develop a sustainable road map to carry forward the migration, environment degradation and climate change research findings in Sri Lanka to the next level of advocacy on related policy development. The audience for this activity will be Government officials of the key ministries related to the scope at policy level. Hence, the in-depth research into the linkages between climate change, environmental degradation and migration, is building on past rapid assessment findings. The planned in-depth research will be designed in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including the Government, UN agencies and research institutes. This activity will lead to the publication of in-depth research report that will enhance the understanding on the nexus between climate change and migration in Sri Lanka. IOM will ensure the research findings will reach relevant policy makers to influence inclusion of migration in development plans, climate change and disaster policy frameworks, and inform long term targeted investments in rural development.

The second key component aims at sharing knowledge of the in-depth research with all stakeholders, leading to a dialogue and a road map to take forward the findings of the research. This intervention aims at developing government capacity for the effective implementation of climate change adaptation actions including sustainable migration management measures and strengthened community resilience.

This project is line with IOM’s institutional objectives to prevent forced migration resulting from environmental factors and to support migrants and the government to respond to new challenges associated with climate change and human mobility.