IOM seeks solutions as world enters 'era of climate migration'

The director general-elect of the International Organization for Migration [IOM] has called for urgent solutions to address climate crisis and human mobility challenges because the world has entered "the era of climate migration."

"Solutions to address the nexus of climate change and human mobility at a continental scale are urgent," Amy Pope said in a statement on Friday.

The call for action came ahead of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi from September 4 - 6.

The Summit is the largest gathering of African heads of state, ministers, UN agencies, humanitarian and development partners, private sector and youth in the continent’s history, the statement said.

"African countries are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, experiencing the dire impacts of the climate crisis including drought, flooding, extreme weather temperatures, rising sea levels," it said.

Working towards COP28 agreement

More than 7.5 million internal disaster displacements were registered on the continent in 2022, according to a report by the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.

Without a climate action plan, up to 105 million people are feared to become internal migrants by 2023 in Africa alone, a 2021 World Bank report estimates, it added.

"IOM is committed to work on sustained options for people who want to stay, for people on the move and for people who want or have to move because of the effects of climate change on the African continent."

The Summit is ahead of the Conference of Parties [COP28] slated for December in the United Arab Emirates "to unite the African continent towards agreement on climate change impacts on human mobility," it said.

Pope was elected in May as IOM director general and will take office on October 1, leading the organisation for five years.

Pope served as senior advisor on migration to US President Joe Biden in 2021.