Calling Attention to Climate Migration and Displacement on International Migrants Day 2024

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This statement was approved by the SPSSI Executive Committee on December 11, 2024.

“Migration is a complex puzzle requiring global collaboration to solve.”

- Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan

As we observe International Migrants Day on December 18, 2024, the world faces a pressing reality: climate change forces millions of people to leave their homes for safety and sustainability. Whether through forced displacement due to catastrophic climate events or voluntary migration caused by deteriorating livelihoods and uninhabitable land, these movements present profound challenges to global health, human rights, and socio-economic systems. According to the World Economic Forum (2023), over 200 million individuals are expected to migrate within their countries due to climate change, with an additional 130 million at risk of being pushed into poverty. International Migrants Day serves as a call to action to recognize the contributions of migrants while addressing the systemic barriers they face. As the impacts of climate change escalate, ensuring the protection of migrant rights and fostering sustainable solutions to climate-induced displacement and migration must remain a global priority.

In the context of climate migration, it is essential to differentiate between crucial terms such as refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and climate migrants, as these reflect the diverse circumstances under which people are compelled to move in response to environmental and climate-related factors. Environmental and climate migration describe “all the various situations in which people move in the context of environmental factors" (IOM, 2021). Climate migration is a subcategory of environmental migration. It refers to situations with a more or less direct causal relation between climate change and the environmental deterioration that compels people to move. Although assessing the specific contribution of climate change to human mobility proves challenging, there is general agreement that climate change is increasingly contributing to migration and displacement (IOM, 2021), either by adding to the inequalities that underlie people’s decision to move or by directly contributing to the deterioration of people’s immediate environments and lives, forcing them to move and uprooting their lives (Oxfam, 2017). People displaced by climate change-related events are loosely referred to as climate refugees, although there is debate about the adequacy of using this term given the difficulty in demonstrating that going back to their place of origin constitutes an imminent threat to their lives (a definitory aspect of the refugee status) and the nature of their mobility (in most cases within national borders, temporary or transitory).

Climate change may affect migration through short-term weather shocks, rapid onset (e.g., storms and floods) or slow onset (e.g., droughts), and long-term climatic impacts (e.g., global warming). Other contributing aspects towards migration include environmental pull factors creating economic opportunities, mitigation and adaptation policies, and narratives about climate change impacts (Doust & Shelby, 2024). While millions of people who still retain some level of agency opt to migrate or resettle in expectation of natural hazards, others whose livelihoods (and sometimes lives) are threatened or lost are uprooted and forced to migrate (flee) in response to extreme weather events (Oxfam, 2017). In some cases, when environmental degradation becomes permanent or extreme weather events become too frequent, rendering places inhabitable, displaced people may become stateless (Arenilla & Rada, 2020). Climate migrations are becoming prevalent. For example, it is estimated that by 2050, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America may experience around 140 million individuals relocating within their national boundaries, referred to as 'internal climate migration' (Rigaud et al., 2018). At the same time, climate displacement and migration is occurring in the Global North such as in the United States in response to coastal flooding, hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires (Bittle, 2024).

According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2020) “displaced and stateless people were the ones with the greatest need for protection.” However, as Zena and Lukala (2022) and Zickgraf (2022) argue, while addressing mobility concerns, it is critical not to overlook the plight of the most vulnerable individuals, such as women, girls, older adults, people with disabilities, and people who do not have the means or opportunity to migrate who are often left behind in degraded areas. Furthermore, it was emphasized that “we need to establish a clear link between climate change, vulnerability, and displacement to proactively identify populations at risk” (UNHCR, 2020).

Recommendations for Interdisciplinary and International Collaborations and Urgent, Tangible Progress on Migration

Climate change has been affecting climate migration along with internal and international displacements. We recommend urgent, tangible progress on migration as we commemorate International Migrant Day. Aligned with the UN 2016-2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Agenda of Transforming Our World and human rights doctrines, we offer whole-of-society recommendations at the local, national, and international levels. In the context of human rights, it is necessary to build new national and international policy tools aimed at increasing mobility, considering all types of climate-induced mobility (migration, displacement, and relocation), including those left behind. It is insufficient to employ de facto terms such as "climate displaced" or "climate refugee" since it leaves large gaps and consequently fails to safeguard precisely those migrants most exposed to climate change impacts.

Countries most vulnerable to climate change and international migration and those who are in transit to migrant populations must incorporate resettlement in their adaptation policies and plans (López-Carr & Marter-Kenyon, 2015; Zena & Lujala, 2022). This will necessitate the identification of: (a) migrant population characteristics and migration-related needs (transitory, permanent, individual, collective), as well as the situation to which they are responding (deciding to migrate in anticipation of climate change impacts vs. being uprooted and displaced by climate change impacts), (b) migrant characteristics that make them more vulnerable (e.g., age, disability, gender, work-related education), and (c) safe places with strong potential for permanent or temporary resettlement of climate migrants. Given that most migration takes place in countries that already face important challenges (conflict, poverty, lack of infrastructure and governability) (d) international support is critical to increase countries' mitigation strategies and resilience, when possible, but also safe and dignifying routes and destinations when migration is key to adaptation and survival.

Adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a significant catalyst for bolstering support for individuals and communities on the move from climate change. Collaboration among individuals from different vantage points, disciplines, and expertise is fundamental to the achievement of the SDG agenda and addressing climate change (Ramírez et al., in press). Climate displacement and migration intersects with all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 10.7, which emphasizes facilitating safe and well-managed migration, and SDG 13.B, which promotes enhanced capacity for climate-related planning, especially for vulnerable groups. Challenges such as inadequate access to safe drinking water (SDG 6), scarce natural resources (SDG 7), and deteriorating agricultural systems (SDG 2), as highlighted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, underscore the compounded effects of climate change on affected individuals' rights and well-being. Addressing these interconnected issues requires stakeholders and policymakers to adjust programs and formulate new solutions to attain the proposed SDGs, which provide meticulously integrated solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate migration.

In the context of SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 17 (partnerships), we offer the following interconnected recommendations:

1. Tackle SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG2 (End Hunger) among individuals temporarily and permanently displaced by climate change.

Refugees and displaced people and other marginalized groups (e.g., women and girls, individuals with disabilities) are more vulnerable and affected by climate disasters (Levy et al., 2022; UNWFP, 2022) and are at higher risk of food scarcity,  undernutrition, and malnutrition (UNHCR, 2024). Displacement and climate-related migration are interconnected and often reinforce each other such that displacement can lead to food scarcity. Climate-migrants and displaced people are forced to move to remote areas and environments that are also highly vulnerable to climate change and challenged with food shortages. In 2022, roughly 70% (72.9 Million) of displaced people were displaced to food crisis territories (GNAFC, 2022). If no drastic action is taken, climate change is projected to impoverish up to 130 million displaced people by 2050 (WEF, 2022). Aside from the urgent need to meet people's nutritional needs and provide access to resources to self-sustain food security, as well as the need to be resilient to climate and agricultural shocks that threaten their ability to earn a living, we also advocate for the establishment of global standards for food security and reliable and disaggregated data to identify and address populations who are particularly vulnerable to poverty and hunger. This would improve the assessment of the effectiveness of food scarcity intervention strategies, strengthen policies to improve people's ability to create self-sustainability and livelihood and support the design of programs that foster a climate of appreciation rather than hostility and othering in host territories as well as encourage bold actions to mitigate climate change.

2. Address SDG3 (Good Health and Well-Being) among individuals facing climate disasters and housing displacement.

Individuals facing temporary and permanent displacement from climate change face numerous unique challenges and are therefore more vulnerable to mental health concerns (Gawrych, 2021). Migration is a “prolonged process with multiple phases and stressors” (Shultz et al., 2018, p. 6). It is not an acute event but rather a stretched period with many possibilities for exposure to potentially traumatic events (Shultz et al., 2018). One main factor that leaves climate migrants vulnerable is community disruption in existing social ties, causing migrants to lose access to valuable social and material resources (Gawrych, 2021; Shultz et al., 2018; Torres & Casey, 2017). Those who manage to find employment in their new location are often burdened with providing aid to those left behind (Torres & Casey, 2017). They are frequently marginalized and discriminated against in their new home where competition for jobs, food, and other resources can lead to violence and ostracization (Torres & Casey, 2017). In places where conflict and war are already occurring (e.g., Colombia, Sudan), climate emergencies (droughts and mudslides) exacerbate the lack of resources (Shultz et al., 2018; White et al., 2023). The loss of their social ties, a significant protective factor, causes a reduction in migrants’ sense of belonging and identity, making them more vulnerable to mental health struggles (Shultz et al., 2018; Torres & Casey, 2017). Children under 18 years old already a population vulnerable to mental health challenges, comprise about half the refugee population, making them doubly vulnerable; moreover, the loss of birth certificates and other forms of identification can make uniting children and parents difficult (Gawrych, 2021; Torres & Casey, 2017). Studies showed higher rates of stress, distress, suicidality, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, insomnia, and behavioural disturbance (Gawrych, 2021; Shultz et al., 2018; White et al., 2023). PTSD can be a direct consequence of the weather event itself (e.g., tsunami waves, wind launching projectiles, raging floodwaters) or as a result of violence endured as a climate migrant (Shultz et al., 2018; Torres & Casey, 2017; White et al 2023).  Additionally, climate migrants have displayed symptoms of solastalgia, a “sense of distress and melancholy related to the environmental destruction of one’s home,” which has “overlapping emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions” (Torres & Casey, 2017; White et al, 2023). Adding to the problem, many affected countries, such as Small Island Developing States like Vanuatu, are experiencing shortages of mental health treatment capacity; after Cyclone Pam in 2015, psychological distress in Vanuatu was widely acknowledged but help was unavailable (Shultz et al., 2018).

3. Accelerate raising awareness and climate literacy within educational systems (SDG4) and to all sectors of societies with attention to elevating the voices of children and youth.

Numerous studies by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and other sources reveal that climate change education is lacking, despite widespread international agreement that climate change education is essential to building mitigation, resilience, and adaptation (Bottin et al., 2023; IPCC, 2022; Monroe et al., 2019; Rousell & Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles, 2020; UNESCO, 2022, 2023). Efforts like UNESCO’s (2023) “Empowering learners and teachers for climate action” need to be ramped up significantly to fill this educational gap by providing adequate training to teachers and making instructional materials freely and widely available to all communities, including those who are most at risk for climate displacement as well as those who are likely to receive individuals who are temporarily and permanently displaced by climate change. Elevating and incorporating the voices and viewpoints of children and youth as both collaborators and leaders in their own right are also fundamental to all the above efforts, as studies show that children and youth voices are still not adequately integrated in delivering climate literacy (Levy et al., 2022, 2024; Trott, 2024; UNCRC, 1989; UNESCO, 2022). At the same time, there is an urgent need to scale up prevention and intervention efforts targeting the infrastructure of educational systems to make them more climate resilient, including ensuring that school buildings are adequately equipped with safe water, cooling systems or other means to address heatwaves, backup energy sources, and climate-resilient buildings to face flooding and extreme weather so that quality education continues.

4. Step up addressing gender equality (SDG 5) during climate disasters and displacement.

During climate migrations, women are most likely to be affected due to deep-rooted gender inequality, especially those who belong to ethnic minorities, who are at higher risk of being affected by the impacts of both sudden and slow onset of extreme events (e.g. hurricanes, storms, floods, land degradation, rising temperatures, and sea-level rise; Levy et al., 2024).?Gendered obligations, combined with substantial economic and social gender inequities and underrepresentation in decision-making at many levels, can put women in vulnerable situations (Change & Platform, 2020). According to a report, women are 14 times more likely than men to die in extreme weather events due to domestic responsibilities, lack of decision-making power within the family, and lack of education or access to information. These factors have received little attention in catastrophe prevention, preparedness, and response efforts, which have traditionally been conceived and implemented by men. As an adaptive strategy, only men can migrate to the Upper Indus Basin, leaving women to manage the home, natural resources, and agriculture (Gioli & Milan, 2018). In Tanzania, women struggle to access household resources, especially land and often move to cities for better career possibilities (Manzanera-Ruiz, Lizárraga, & Mwaipopo, 2016). Women in lower-middle-income countries sometimes are "left behind" due to socio-cultural gender inequities (OIM, 2022). Climate migration increases women's exposure to gender-based violence, including sexual and physical assault (Ayeb-Karlsson, 2020). SDG 5.1, which seeks gender equality and empowerment for women, and SDG 5.2, which seeks to end women's trafficking, require a gender-sensitive approach to climate migration. Gender equality considerations in climate migration, disaster risk reduction, and climate change governance and policy can reduce socio-economic disparities, improve livelihood prospects for women, and strengthen resilience and adaptive capacities for sustainable development. SGD 5 on “gender equality” can give a global action tool to address gender-specific vulnerabilities linked to more inclusive behaviours and an international framework to evaluate climate migration's effects. 

5. Implement climate-resilient housing for migrants to advance SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Migrants are often at the forefront of housing vulnerability, frequently finding shelter in informal settlements highly susceptible to climate risks such as flooding, extreme heat, and landslides (UN-Habitat, 2018). As climate-induced displacement intensifies, providing climate-resilient, affordable housing for temporarily and permanently displaced individuals and migrants becomes essential to fostering sustainable and safe urban areas. Climate-resilient housing initiatives support SDG 11 by equipping cities to withstand extreme weather events, ensuring that all residents—regardless of migratory status—have access to safe, dignified, and sustainable living conditions (UN-Habitat, 2018). Moreover, the construction of durable, climate-adaptive housing mitigates the economic fallout of recurrent displacements. It creates long-term stability, allowing climate migrants to build community ties and contribute positively to local economies (McMichael & Katonivualiku, 2020). Integrating resilient housing solutions into urban planning reduces informal settlements in high-risk zones, protecting migrants and locals from climate hazards—informal infrastructure like poor drainage systems increases natural disaster risk for cities (Adger et al., 2014). Policymakers, urban planners, and local communities must work together to design and construct housing that addresses immediate shelter requirements and enhances cities' structural and social resilience to climate change (Archer et al., 2014).

Why is International Migrants Day celebrated on December 18? 

On December 18, 1990, the UN General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (A/RES/45/158).

Acknowledgements: This statement was prepared by members of the SPSSI UN NGO Team and Expert Affiliates, including Meroona Gopang, Luisa Ramírez, Sheri R. Levy, Anni Sternisko, Ayushi Vg, Elizabeth Zick, Meagan Ryan, and David Livert.

How to Cite this Statement: Gopang, M., Ramírez, L., Levy, S.R., Sternisko, A., Vg, A., Zick, E., Ryan, M., & Livert, D. (2024, December 18). Calling Attention to Climate Migration and Displacement on International Migrants Day 2024. Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.

Disclaimer: This is a product of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Division 9 of the American Psychological Association, and does not represent the position of the American Psychological Association or any of its other divisions or subunits.

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