Environmentally Induced Migration (EIM) and Sustainable development

1. Environmentally Induced Migration (EIM) and Sustainable development By: Sami Areikat/DSD/UN-DESA Contribution to “Seminar on Environmentally Induced Migration and Climate Change” Session II: Environmental Migration: What Are the Implications for Development? United Nations Headquarters, New York, 20 April 2010

2. Presentation objectives • Overview EIM as an emerging issue by DSD/DESA • Introduction of DSD/DESA initial research on EIM from sustainable development perspective. • The implications of EIM for sustainable development. • Sustainable Development: an effective and comprehensive approach to EIM

3. Sustainable Development “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” the most frequently quoted definition to SD and adopted by DESA is from Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report SD came to the forefront of public interest in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro (the Earth Summit) SD continued to develop with major landmarks such as the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 and the 2005 World Summit.

4. RIO Principles “Human beings are at the center of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature” Rio Declaration, Principle 1 The sustainable development guidelines include: Integration of economic, social and environmental objectives Development of capacity and an enabling environment Improving access to information Ensuring broad participation and effective partnerships; Fostering country ownership and commitment; and Focusing on outcomes and means of implementation.

5. “Agenda 21” References • Chapter 5: DEMOGRAPHIC DYNAMICS AND SUSTAINABILITY • 5.19. The relationships between demographic trends and factors and environmental change and between environmental degradation and the components of demographic change should be analyzed. • 5.20. Research should be conducted on how environmental factors interact with socio economic factors as a cause of migration.

6. EIM: An Emerging Issue for Sustainable Development Failing ecosystems, vulnerability to natural hazards and disasters, gradual climate-driven environmental changes and degradation is putting pressure on human migration and can lead to a future crisis in sustainable development. Forecasts of large-scale migration due to climate change and environmental degradation estimates between 50 and 350 million by 2050

7. SG’s Report to GA64Climate change and its possible security implications • Population movements due to changing weather, drought and flooding can lead to conflicts • Channels linking CC to security • Survival strategies (un-coordinated coping) • competition for scarce resources • population displacement, forced migration • both increase risk of violent conflict • Statelessness: extreme instance of • resource scarcity and population • displacement from sea-level rise affecting coastal areas, islands

8. SG’s Report to GA64Climate change and its possible security implicationsChannels linking CC to security

9. Background paper on EIM and Sustainable Development • The background paper prepared jointly by DSD/DESA, UNU-EHS • Contribution to the overall effort in exploring the emerging issue of EIM and its impacts on sustainable development. • An effort to analyze the nexus between environmental change and migration from the perspective of sustainable development with focus on migration induced by slow-onset environmental degradation and exacerbated by climate change.

10. The Economic Pillar Of Sustainable Development • The main aspects of the economic component of SD are that: • Society’s well being would have to be maximized and poverty eradicated. • Overriding priority should be given to the basic needs of the world's poor • Main economic sectors affected are the ones most directly depend on the ecosystem: • Agriculture, forestry, fisheries • Tourism and utilities

11. Connections with sustainable developmentThe Economic Pillar • Poverty and EIM : • Impacts on the regions of origin • Impacts on the regions of destination • Environmental Migrants settlement in poor urban residents and slums. • Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs)

12. The Social Pillar Of Sustainable Development • The social component in sustainable development includes: • the relationship between nature and human beings • uplifting the welfare of people • improving access to basic health and education services • fulfilling minimum standards of security and respect for human rights • development of various cultures, diversity and effective grass roots participation in decision-making • equity (i.e., the distribution of benefits and access to resources) remains an essential component of both the economic and social dimensions of sustainable development.

13. Connections with sustainable developmentThe Social Pillar Food security Health and Education Gender issues Potential conflict over natural resources

14. The Environmental Pillar Of Sustainable Development • The environmental component of sustainable development is concerned with the conservation and enhancement of the physical and biological resource base and eco-systems. • The main negative impacts of migration on biodiversity: • Species and genetic diversity loss from an area • Habitat loss and fragmentation • The environmental impact of migration on: • receiving regions. • sending regions • transit regions

15. Drivers of EIM • Migration induced by the sea-level rise: • Gained a lot of attention in the debate on EIM • Recent cases are those of Tulun (Carteret) and Takuu (Mortlock) in Papua New Guinea • Numbers can increase dramatically in the next decades • Desertification and land degradation: “The challenges posed by increased desertification, including protecting the livelihoods of the millions of people directly affected by desertification, need urgent attention if sustainable development goals are to be achieved” Report of the Secretary-General, Desertification, 2009 Summary of Recent estimates of the percentages of the dry lands affected or threatened by desertification : • 43% in Africa • 65% of West Asia • 35% of China’s territory • 50% of the Central Asian. • 25% in Latin America and in the Caribbean - Report of the Secretary-General, Desertification, 2008

16. Vulnerable regions • Developing world in general, Africa and South Asia, coastal areas • Conflict-affected countries • Small Island Developing States

17. Sustainable Development approach to EIM • Sustainable Development is an effective and comprehensive approach to EIM as it takes into account all the dimensions of the decision to migrate through: • Slowing down environmental degradation • adaptation to climate change • food security • health and education • water supply and sanitation • conservation of biodiversity • building resilience and reducing vulnerability • sustainable use of natural resources • early warning systems and risk management

18. Sustainable Development approach to EIM • Special attention needs to be given to the environmental push factors in all kinds of development policies including: • National Sustainable Development Strategies NSDS • UNFCCC NAPAs, UNCCD NAPs and UNCBD NBSAPs • Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSPs) • Peacebuilding and Conflict prevention strategies • The importance of economic diversification to vulnerable areas relying primarily on: • Agricultural Production • Fishing

19. Challenges/ the way forward Stronger scientific basis and appropriate data collection Technical expertise development and promotion of dialogue between experts Adequate funding for prevention and adaptation to EIM Consideration of the needs of the most vulnerable Synergies between sending and receiving regions Risk management and early warning system An inclusive and long-term approach to EIM

20. Thank you Sami Areikat