Photo credit: UNFCCC

The United Nations Bonn Climate Change Talks continue this week in Germany. According to the Climate Change Talks website, “Delegates from 182 countries meeting in Bonn are to discuss, for the first time, key negotiating texts which can serve as the basis for an ambitious and effective international climate change deal, to be clinched in Copenhagen in December.” A press release today by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) states that “the next agreement on climate change has to take the humanitarian perspective into account. It is also essential for the agreement to set out a workable approach to help the world counter the impacts of extreme weather events and environmental degradation on vulnerable communities.”

Among the talks is the side event “Climate Change and Forced Migration” which took place today. The event served as a high-level panel discussion looking at the current protection regime and gaps which may impact on aspects of forced migration. It was organized by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and is in cooperation with key migration agencies such as UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations University.

During the event, a new study by the NRC Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was presented. The study shows that more than 20 million people have been displaced by climate-related sudden-onset natural disasters in 2008 alone. “For the first time, we have a solid indication of the scale of forced displacement as a result of sudden-onset natural disasters in the context of climate change”, said Elisabeth Rasmusson, Secretary General of the NRC, at a press briefing during the talks earlier in the day. “I would like to emphasise that the humanitarian community welcomes the recognition of migration in relation to climate change adaptation in the current draft negotiating text. We urge State Parties to keep this reference in the final agreement.” Rasmusson also said, referring to section 25e of the latest negotiation text.

The ongoing work of the NRC is contributing to massive strides in the direction of formal recognition of environmental migrants. You can read the policy brief based on the findings of the forthcoming NRC-OHCA study here. I will update you further on the outcome of the side event once more information is released.