Migration, Environment and Climate Change

West and Central Africa carries a long history of human mobility, which is considered as a strategy to improve livelihoods, especially in the context of environmental degradation and climate change. Besides being a region particularly vulnerable to sudden onset events such as floods, West and Central Africa is also exposed to land degradation, water scarcity and coastal erosion. The region is also expected to be the most impacted by an overwhelming urbanization in the next two decades (UNEP).

IOM’s Office for West and Central Africa works to promote an inclusive and sustainable migration management and to mitigate the environmental drivers of migration in the region. IOM is promoting a holistic approach, through policy dialogue, knowledge production and concrete action with the migrants. IOM is acting at sub-regional, national and local levels to promote a shared understanding of and find solutions to environmental migration and disaster displacement.

In line with IOM’s Institutional Strategy on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (MECC), as well as with IOM’s Regional Strategy for West and Central Africa, and in collaboration with its Member States, observers and partners, IOM is committed to:

      ➢ Minimize forced and unmanaged migration as much as possible;

      ➢ Contribute to the development of more inclusive and sustainable policies;

      ➢ Develop evidence on issues related to the resilience of communities and their territories;

      ➢ Invest in community-based livelihoods initiatives;

     ➢ Strengthen the capacity of governments in migration governance related to environment and

         climate change;

     ➢ Engage diaspora in green economy and nature-based solutions.

Contact us

For further information, please contact:

MECC regional team

Hind AISSAOUI BENNANI, Regional Specialist, Dakar, haissaoui@iom.int

Papa Souleymane KOULIBALY, Senior Project Assistant, Dakar, pkoulibaly@iom.int

Sokhna SY, MECC Data and Research Officer, Dakar, ssy@iom.int

Christina Ninfa DASZKIEWICZ, Project Officer (MECC), Geneva, cdaszkiewicz@iom.int