ASEAN Migration Outlook Calls for Climate-Resilient Migration Policies

LUANG PRABANG, 25 September 2024 - The second edition of the ASEAN Migration Outlook was officially launched on 25 September during the 17^th Meeting of ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (ACMW).

The Outlook provides a comprehensive analysis of the complex interplay between climate change and human mobility in the ASEAN region. It serves as a valuable resource for policymakers and practitioners to understand and better integrate migration policies into national climate action plans.

ASEAN is at risk for climate change impact, facing both sudden-onset extreme weather events, such as storms and floods, and slow-onset changes, including sea-level rise and droughts. Data from the past decade indicates over 75 million internal displacements in the region, primarily driven by extreme weather events.

The socio-economic characteristics of the ASEAN region further increase its vulnerability to climate change hazards. Many livelihoods are dependent on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries, making people more susceptible to food insecurity and environmental stress.

The Outlook highlights this growing impact of climate change on migration patterns within and across ASEAN Member States and underscores the need for urgent actions to address the challenges posed by climate-induced displacement, labour migration, and other forms of human mobility. It calls for enhanced measures to improve climate resilience among vulnerable populations and communities. This includes investments in climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable livelihoods.

Hosted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare of Lao People's Democratic Republic, the launch event provided a platform for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders to discuss the findings of the Outlook and explore potential solutions. Participants emphasized the need for a comprehensive and integrated approach to addressing the climate change-human mobility nexus in ASEAN.

Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN for Socio-Cultural Community, Ekkaphab Phanthavong, expressed hope that the Outlook will offer new perspectives and policy insights that will be beneficial to ASEAN Member States in adapting to climate change. He stressed the importance of ensuring safe, orderly, and regular human mobility while enhancing resilience of ASEAN's population, especially our future generations.

Welcoming the publication of the Outlook, Mati Hashemee, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Director ad interim for Asia and the Pacific highlighted the urgent need to focus efforts on supporting the most vulnerable populations who are disproportionately affected by climate change. "We urgently need to bolster regional collaboration to strengthen climate resilience, protect at-risk communities, and ensure migration is a choice, not a matter of survival," he said.

The Outlook was developed by the ASEAN Secretariat, supported by IOM and with guidance of the ACMW.

The 2^nd edition of the ASEAN Migration Outlook, including detailed findings, analysis and policy recommendations, is available at: https://asean.org/serial/asean-migration-outlook-second-edition/

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