Last week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its Sixth Synthesis Report, summarizing the state of knowledge on climate change science with a clear message:  “if we act now, we can still secure a liveable sustainable future for all.” The report also makes clear that yes, the climate is changing and with it, patterns of migration as well. 

By compiling all the knowledge to date on the links between climate and migration, the world’s climate science experts acknowledged the complexity of the relationship, while confirming that migration can be a means of climate adaptation.

Equally, recognizing that climate effects are also leading to forced displacement, the report focuses on the need to strengthen pathways and safeguards for people on the move.

Clearly, climate-driven migration is already happening, and there is growing evidence of how this can be a positive example of climate adaptation in some scenarios, and not as such in others.

The synthesis report recommends governments scale efforts to increase climate resilience as a measure against displacement, and remove barriers to ensure safe migration routes. In other words, governments need to step up efforts to protect vulnerable populations who are being forced to migrate due in some part to climate change.  

The accompanying Summary for Policymakers—which sets the political agenda and must be approved by governments—clearly asserts that climate and extreme weather events are increasingly driving displacement across the world. This is a timely reminder as Cyclone Freddy has displaced hundreds of thousands of people across Mozambique, Madagascar and Malawi during the past two months. In fact, the storm is expected to be declared the longest-ever cyclone in recorded history.

Unfortunately, the summary document, which guides policymakers’ actions, does not recommend that governments facilitate migration as a way of adapting to climate change. Instead, the summary findings acknowledge that migration, relocation and resettlement may not in all instances be considered as forms of climate adaptation.

This was a missed opportunity for policymakers to set the stage and take meaningful action toward addressing the complex relationship between climate change, displacement and migration. Perhaps it is not entirely surprising that in a period of extreme hostility toward people on the move, governments did not adhere to the IPCC’s analysis of migration as a potential form of climate adaptation.

The latest report also brings sharp attention to the losses and damages caused by climate change, as well as the inequities of the current crisis. Aditi Mukherji, one of the authors of the report, stated, “Almost half of the world’s population lives in regions that are highly vulnerable to climate change. In the last decade, deaths from floods, droughts and storms were 15 times higher in highly vulnerable regions.” Mukherji also emphasized the importance of upholding climate justice as those who have contributed the least to the current crisis are disproportionately affected.

It is becoming increasingly clear that displacement is a major form of loss and damage faced by communities globally, as different types of social disruption tend to interact with climate-related disasters. For example, in the case of Cyclone Freddy, UNICEF has warned that displacement is contributing to a growing cholera outbreak in Malawi and Mozambique, as the disaster has devastated infrastructure and social services and hampered access to essential health and other basic services. In light of the latest IPCC warnings, it is worth remembering that such disasters will only continue to intensify and increase without immediate climate action.

The final warning by IPCC is an urgent reminder for policymakers to address the issue of climate change and displacement. Whether it is funding loss and damage, providing support for climate adaptation efforts, or introducing migration pathways, the time for action is now.