Bamako, 12 July – The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Government of Mali and Belgian Embassy in Mali officially unveiled a regional initiative to support the development and implementation of data-based policies and programmes on migration and climate change in Mali and five other Sahelian countries. 

“In Mali, forward-thinking actions are planned to strengthen the resilience of displaced populations, migrants and communities, as well as natural resource management in an inclusive and sustainable manner,” Olivier Grosjean, IOM Chief of Mission a.i. in Mali “At the regional level, this pilot initiative will contribute to improving the availability of statistics on internal and cross-border displacement, including climate-related migration”. 

Sub Saharan Africa recorded 2.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to climate related disasters in 2023, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) 2024 Global Report on Internal Displacement representing around 7 per cent of the total IDPs in the region. The pilot initiative – worth five million euros in funding - will focus on migrants, internally displaced persons, host communities and agricultural and transhumant populations in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Chad.  

“The Sahel is a region subject to significant population movements, whether prompted by the search for better economic opportunities or due to security or environmental reasons,” said Patrick Deboeck Chargé d’Affaires of the Belgian Embassy in Mali. “As one of its foreign policy priorities, Belgium adopted an integrated strategy for the Sahel region in July 2023, in which the fight against the root causes of forced migration and the protection of migrants and internally displaced persons are highlighted as key areas for our partnership.”  

Cyclical floods and severe droughts have impacted human mobility, livelihoods and stability in the Sahel region. This project, implemented by IOM in partnership with the relevant governments, is designed to support governments in addressing these issues. 

“I welcome this initiative as an appropriate action following our recommendations made during the 2023 International Migrants Day, which focused on climate change and human mobility,” said Mossa Ag Attaher, Minister for Malians Living Abroad and African Integration. “We need to pay particular attention to the nexus between migration and climate change, gender and development, and support communities affected by climate change impacts, while minimising the need for further displacement.”  

Extreme weather events are pushing more people to move. To avert, minimize and address displacement linked to climate disasters and strengthen people’s resilience, implementing sustainable climate adaptation, preparedness and concrete disaster risk reduction measures is urgent. IOM is committed to continue working for people who want to stay, for people on the move and for people who take the decision to move because of the effects of climate change. 

Note to Editors: 

The Project titled “Environment-Migration Nexus in Mali and Enhancing Data on Internal and Cross-Border Displacement in the Sahel” (Nexus Environnement-migration au Mali et reinforcement des données relative's aux deplanements internes et transfrontaliers au Sahel), is supported by the Kingdom of Belgium. 

For more information, please contact:  

In Mali : mcd unit, allmalimediacom@iom.int  

In Dakar : Joëlle Furrer, jfurrer@iom.int  

In Geneva : Kennedy Okoth, kokoth@iom.int