Source: UNEP

We are already pushing, if not pushing past the ecological limits on so many fronts—from fisheries and forests to biodiversity and fertile soils.



Climate change is now emerging as a further wide-ranging stress and source of insecurity for vulnerable communities and countries—perhaps the proverbial straw that will break the camel’s back unless urgent action is taken.



UNEP in collaboration with its partners, plans to tackle the impending crisis related to environmentally induced migration by focusing on three interconnected areas tied to migration aspects: Ecosystem management, Climate change adaptation and Coordination of efforts.



In such a context, I am delighted to announce our support today to the establishment of the Climate change Environment and Migration Alliance. Under this Alliance, UNEP will focus on exploratory assessment leading to a global report and Atlas on linkages between climate change, environmental degradation and human migration.



In addition, a new $3 million UNEP-Global Environmental Facility project is under preparation aimed at increasing understanding and developing policy options on climate change induced migration (CCIM). At its centre are options for planned migration as a positive adaptation strategy.



Four vulnerable 'eco-regions’ will be test beds for new ideas and strategies—the small island developing state of Samoa; the deltas of Bangladesh; mountains in central Asia and drylands in sub-Saharan Africa.



A broad coalition of partners will be involved including the International Organization for Migration; the Stockholm Environment Institute and the International Institute for Sustainable Development.



(By Ms. Maryam Niamir-Fuller, Director Division of Global Environment Facility (GEF) Coordination in UNEP)