Human Mobility and the Climate Crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean

Date: Tuesday, September 26th, 2023 
Time: 9:00 – 10:30 (Panama, GMT-5) 
Language: Spanish with interpretation to English available 
Format: broadcast live on YouTube (Spanish and English)  

Globally, 21.5 million displacements are caused each year by climate-related events, such as floods, storms and extreme temperatures (UNHCR/IDMC). Additionally, climate change acts as a risk multiplier in places that receive migrants and displaced people.

This phenomenon raises fundamental questions for climate justice in the region. In this context, it is crucial to raise awareness and increase understanding of its complexities to develop comprehensive responses.

In the last decade, initiatives have emerged to prevent, address and respond to human mobility in relation to climate change from multidimensional approaches in the region. These approaches include the recovery of ecosystem services and the creation of sustainable livelihoods for affected communities. Sharing these experiences and lessons learned is essential to build future policies and practices.

In this event, UNEP, UNHCR, IOM and WFP will share key messages on human mobility and the climate crisis, so that they can be considered in the negotiations of the Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP28), including the Global Goal on Adaptation and financing arrangements to address Loss and Damage.

Objectives:

• Raise awareness about the challenge of migration and displacement related to climate risks and increase understanding of their complexities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Share the work of initiatives that address human mobility from different dimensions, including the recovery of ecosystem services and livelihoods.
• Advocate for the integration of the migration and displacement dimension into COP28 discussions, including the Global Goal on Adaptation and financing agreements for loss and damage.

For more information, contact angela.priasmahecha@un.org