Migration, Environment & Climate Change

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), as the leading intergovernmental migration agency, has been at the forefront of operational, research, policy and advocacy efforts, seeking to bring environmental migration to the heart of international, regional and national concerns in collaboration with its Member States, observers and partners. 

IOM’s Mandate 

Since 2007, member states requested IOM within its governing bodies to work on migration, environment and climate change. At the beginning of 2015, a dedicated Migration, Environment and Climate Change (MECC) Division was created to address the migration, environment and climate nexus. This institutional change has formalized IOM’s engagement in this thematic area, making IOM the first international organization to have established an institutional unit fully devoted to this topic. Through its  Migration, Environment and Climate Change Division, within the Department of Migration Management, IOM oversees, supports and coordinates the development of policy guidance for activities with a migration, environment and climate change dimension. 

MECC in Ghana 

In Ghana, climatic and environmental factors, such as: land degradation in the north and central regions; land erosion in the coastal regions; and economic practices that adversely affect biodiversity, pollute air and water sources and cause deforestation, are increasing drivers of rural-urban migration.  

Factors related to the sustainable management of environmental resources are integrated into all of IOM Ghana’s interventions. Measures include ensuring that: policy, research and data activities include an environment and climate change focus; capacity building interventions include sensitization on environmental impact and sustainability; and migrants and migrant communities are supported to adopt environmentally friendly practices and sustainable business ventures. 

In January 2023, with the launch of the Diaspora for Climate Action (D4C) project, IOM Ghana joined forces with IOM UK, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Environmental Protection Agency, the Diaspora Affairs Office of the President, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; and the Ghanaian diaspora in the UK to create global links and leadership for #ClimateAction. The D4C project aims to enable diaspora members to build connections with key stakeholders in Bangladesh, Jamaica, Ghana and Albania that can help them achieve more effective and coordinated climate action, and greater and longer-lasting impacts on climate-vulnerable populations. This initiative is funded by IOM Development Fund. More about the Diaspora for Climate Action (D4C) project here.