Climate change is amplifying the risk of extreme weather disasters by increasing the destructive power of storms and floods. At the same time, rising seas, shifting rainfall patterns, drought and other slow-onset changes are eroding people’s land, natural resources and security, and magnifying existing vulnerabilities.

The first part of this paper explores the many ways in which climate change is driving displacement: including rising seas, supercharged weather disasters, drought and extreme heat. It explores both sudden and slow-onset changes, and the interconnection between climate change and other migration pressures.

The second part of the paper explores the disproportionate incidence and impact of displacement linked to climate change in lower-income countries, as well as on women, children, indigenous peoples and other vulnerable groups. It shows how displacement both stems from inequality and further amplifies inequality, and how people living in poverty and otherwise vulnerable populations are paying the true cost of the impact of the fossil fuel industry and unsustainable lifestyles.

The third part outlines the broad areas of action that must be prioritized in responding to the growing risk of displacement in the context of climate change.

This paper concludes with specific recommendations for action under the Paris Agreement, the new Global Compacts on migration and refugees, and initiatives at regional and national levels.
 

[This description was extracted from the introduction and summary of the report]