Policy Briefs on Climate Change and Conflict

The report analyses the findings from a series of Talanoa discussions with young Pasifika migrants living in diaspora communities across Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia and USA. It narrates the personal journeys of these young individuals as they cope with the pain of separation from their ancestral lands, and navigate their journey to preserve their identity, dignity, social cohesion and selfhood. The experiences of these youth migrants highlight some of the challenges related to intangible losses and damages that host countries and diaspora communities could address if they are to aid future climate-related migration effectively and assist the integration of migrants into their new societies.

This Policy Brief addresses the critical challenge of climate change adaptation in Somaliland, where the impacts of climate change have led to severe social, economic, political, and ecological consequences. Climate change has already had profound effects for pastoralists whose livelihoods rely heavily on livestock, making them highly vulnerable to climate variability and change. The paper emphasizes the urgent need for climate policies and adaptation strategies that cater to the context’s specific needs, effectively bridging global climate action consensus with localized approaches. It concludes with recommendations for the Somaliland Government, other Somali stakeholders and for the international community.

This report addresses the challenges of planned relocation, looking at cases in Fiji, and it presents a specific promising community engagement approach that is pursued by the peacebuilding NGO Transcend Oceania in its work with Fijian communities. Transcend Oceania’s approach encourages a shift away from the conventional ‘victimhood’ discourse; affected communities see themselves as active agents rather than entirely dependent on external assistance. This approach offers some insights that can provide guidance for other relocation endeavours in the Pacific and more generally.

This Policy Brief addresses questions of how to manage situations of climate mobilities, both within and between respective states. Firstly, it looks at the guidance that exists in international law and principles and how this could apply to instances of climate mobilities. Secondly, it unpacks two examples of climate mobilities policies, in Fiji and Vanuatu, specifically the constitutive elements of the policies and what they say about their development. Finally, it draws out three lessons that can be learnt from these policies and attempts at their implementation: there must be adequate funding available, mobilities solutions must be community-led and these solutions must be forward-looking and pre-emptive.

This Policy Brief, the fourth of a series on matters related to climate change (im)mobility, addresses the prospective domestic consequences for Pacific Island Countries and Territories from which international climate change emigrants may depart. It outlines how emigration has affected PICTs not only in general socio-economic terms but also in terms of exposure and vulnerability to climate change effects and capacity to adapt to them. It will also consider the likely futures of those PICTs with high levels of (forced?) immobility. The Policy Brief concludes with a consideration of the key issues identified in this four-part series.