Climate Change Roundtable for Researchers and Practitioners

Following a panel discussion on addressing the legal gaps in climate change, migration, displacement and resettlement, the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement organized its third roundtable for researchers and practitioners working on issues of climate change and human mobility. This roundtable held at the Brookings Institution, part of a bi-annual series, focused on humanitarian and development approaches to climate change migration, displacement and resettlement, including discussions about the relevance and possible outcomes of this year’s Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). In addition, participants’ updated each other on current and planned research and activities in the field.

Moderated by Elizabeth Ferris, discussion at the roundtable was wide-ranging, including both reporting on research initiatives underway and suggestions on how to strengthen cooperation between the humanitarian, development and disaster risk reduction fields in terms of climate change and human mobility challenges. To start off the discussion, three participants (David Payton, UNDP; Rod Snider, American Red Cross; Alice Thomas, Refugees International) gave brief overviews over some of the main aspects of their organizations’ work in this area. The roundtable continued with dialogue on climate change issues and updates on current activities and research by the participants. Elizabeth Ferris closed the roundtable by pointing out the existence of a new online platform for researchers and practitioners working on climate change and human mobility issues developed by the Project on Internal Displacement and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and by thanking all participants for their participation. The next installment of the roundtable is planned for autumn 2012.