Since 2009, Laura Thompson (Master in International Law, ’99), has served as Deputy Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). On the occasion of World Environment Day 2017, she shared her thoughts on how people and nature connect through the lenses of migration.
Can you explain the importance of migration to World Environment Day?
People have always been moving due to environmental reasons, whether to avoid negative environmental changes or in search of better surroundings. Today, people are increasingly displaced by natural disasters, as well as migrating pre-emptively out of harm’s way. For too long, environmental factors were neglected in migration debates. It took 16 climate conferences before the first formal mention of migration as an adaptation to climate change. This prepared the ground for including migration in the 2015 Paris Agreement. I am extremely happy to see that WED 2017 speaks of both people and nature, because we cannot envisage one without the other.
How is climate change reshaping priorities for you and your organisation?
Climate and weather-related events displace over 22 million people each year. Climate change will exacerbate the frequency and intensity of both sudden-onset and slow-onset events, which may lead to loss of traditional migratory routes or be a trigger for new migration. Policies must be in place to address this phenomenon, followed by operational actions to prevent displacement when possible, assist when it occurs, and to facilitate migration as an adaptation strategy. IOM has an important role to play in raising awareness among its Member States, helping them to respond adequately to these challenges.
When did your organisation begin collaboration on the migration-environment nexus?
In 2010 we started exploring in depth the impacts of slow onset processes, the progressive degradation of the environment and the loss of productive land and ecosystems as key triggers of population movements. It is interesting to note that more than a billion people, most of them in Asia, live in low-lying coastal regions, and drylands are home to one in three people in the world today. Our objective is to be able to link scientific evidence to a balanced migration perspective, where we raise awareness without harmfully alarmist projections, given that we know that migration is also a powerful driver of development.
What are the most pressing policy priorities in the migration-environment-climate change nexus?
Environmental migration is often a story of either too much water (floods, erosions, sea level rise) or too little (drought, desertification, hydric stress). From IOM’s side we want to make sure that land and oceans perspectives are now considered in the discussions of the Global Compact on Migration (GCM) and in IOM’s migration policies dialogues and activities. We aim to help states work across ministries, hence one of our main activities is a capacity building programme for policymakers and practitioners on migration, environment and climate change.
What is your main message on World Environment Day?
World Environment Day is a reminder of the interconnectedness between humans, mobility and environment. If we care for nature, we care for people and we care for migrants and their communities. Thanks to this special day, we can raise awareness that no matter whether endorsed and promoted by public policies or not, migration will be one of the ways in which people will deal with increasingly hostile and unfriendly environments.
A longer version of the article originally appeared here.