From Haiti to Ethiopia: voices of climate displacement at COP30 – UN News

Advocacy for Climate Mobility and Sustainable Development Goal Integration at COP30

IOM’s Strategic Position on Climate Adaptation and Human Mobility

At the COP30 conference in Belém, Brazil, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) is advocating for the integration of climate-induced mobility into global adaptation strategies. This initiative directly supports several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by addressing the intersection of climate change, human rights, and development.

• SDG 13 (Climate Action): The IOM urges that human mobility be recognized as a key component of climate action, particularly within National Adaptation Plans and financing mechanisms for loss and damage.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels emphasized the need for dignified options for movement, ensuring that climate responses do not exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. The goal is to provide safe conditions for communities that remain and dignified pathways for those who must relocate.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Through projects in 80 countries, the IOM supports community-led solutions, empowering local populations to build resilience against climate impacts.

Case Study: Climate Injustice in Haiti and the Pursuit of SDG 16

The personal testimony of Robert Montinard, a Haitian refugee displaced by the 2010 earthquake, highlights the profound link between climate vulnerability and social justice. His advocacy underscores the importance of including affected populations in decision-making processes, a core tenet of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Mr. Montinard, representing the Mawon Association, presented a formal proposal to Brazilian officials demanding inclusive and just climate policies. The key proposals include:

1. The establishment of municipal climate councils to ensure local participation.
2. The implementation of specific actions to combat environmental racism, which disproportionately affects Black and Indigenous communities.
3. The formation of community-led brigades for effective disaster response.

He termed Haiti’s situation “climate injustice,” contrasting the slow recovery in his homeland with the rapid rebuilding in nations like the United States after similar disasters, illustrating a critical challenge to achieving SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Case Study: Climate-Induced Conflict in Ethiopia and its Impact on SDG 16

Makebib Tadesse from Ethiopia provided evidence of how climate change acts as a conflict multiplier, directly undermining SDG 16. He described a “continuous cycle of violence and displacement” driven by increasing scarcity of food and water.

• Climate pressures are intensifying pre-existing conflicts over land and resources.
• The impact of climate change in northern Ethiopia is now considered comparable to or greater than the devastation of the 1974-1991 civil war.
• This nexus of climate change and conflict is a significant driver of forced migration from the region.

A Call for Inclusive Action and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

The collective presence of displaced persons at COP30, supported by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), represents a crucial partnership aimed at amplifying marginalized voices. UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Alfonso Herrera stressed that the perspectives of refugees, who are on the front lines of the climate crisis, must be central to policy debates.

This collaborative effort between UN agencies, civil society, and member states like Brazil exemplifies SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The ultimate message from these advocates is that meaningful climate action must be rooted in human rights and dignity, ensuring that progress toward the SDGs leaves no one behind.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   SDG 13: Climate Action

   • The article is centered around the COP30 climate conference and the urgent need for climate action. It explicitly discusses making “climate mobility a core part of adaptation plans,” financing for “loss and damage,” and the direct consequences of climate change, such as intensified hurricanes and resource scarcity leading to displacement.

   SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • The article highlights the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable and marginalized groups. It mentions that “refugees, Indigenous Peoples, Black communities, women” are most affected. The concept of “climate injustice” is raised by comparing the swift recovery in Florida to the prolonged devastation in Haiti after similar disasters, pointing to a deep inequality in resilience and resources.

   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • The connection between climate change and conflict is a key theme. The situation in Ethiopia is described as a “continuous cycle of violence and displacement” fueled by scarcity of food and water. The article also calls for more inclusive institutions by demanding that “refugee voices must be heard” and proposing the creation of “municipal climate councils” to ensure participatory decision-making and combat “environmental racism.”

   SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • The article touches upon the resilience of communities to disasters. The example of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, where buildings “still lie in rubble,” underscores the failure to rebuild safe and resilient settlements. The proposal to create “community brigades to respond to disasters” directly addresses the need to strengthen local capacity to manage and recover from climate-related shocks.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. This is addressed through the call for community brigades in Haiti and the overall push to make communities safer for those who choose to stay.
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. This is directly mentioned by the IOM’s goal to “place human mobility as a key area of climate action, especially in national adaptation plans.”

   SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. This is reflected in Robert Montinard’s insistence that “migrants and refugees to be heard” and be part of the solution, demanding their inclusion in climate policy-making.
   • Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people. The IOM’s statement that people “who decide to move must have the option to do so with dignity” directly aligns with this target.

   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The article links climate pressures in Ethiopia to a “continuous cycle of violence and displacement,” implying that climate action is necessary to achieve this target in conflict-affected regions.
   • Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. This is a central theme, exemplified by the demand for refugee voices to be heard and the specific proposal to create “municipal climate councils” to include affected communities in decision-making.

   SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters. The discussion of the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake and the proposal for “community brigades to respond to disasters” directly relate to this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   Implied Indicators for SDG 13

   • Indicator for Target 13.2: The number of countries that have integrated human mobility and climate displacement into their National Adaptation Plans. The IOM’s push for this integration makes it a clear, measurable outcome.

   Implied Indicators for SDG 10

   • Indicator for Target 10.7: The existence of policies and frameworks that ensure dignified migration options for climate-displaced persons. The IOM’s call for movement “with dignity” suggests that the quality and accessibility of migration pathways can be assessed.

   Implied Indicators for SDG 16

   • Indicator for Target 16.7: The establishment and functioning of inclusive climate governance bodies, such as the proposed “municipal climate councils,” and the level of representation of refugees and other marginalized groups within them.
   • Indicator for Target 16.1: A measured reduction in conflict incidents and displacement numbers in regions like Ethiopia where climate change is identified as a driver of violence.

   Implied Indicators for SDG 11

   • Indicator for Target 11.5: The number and operational capacity of local disaster response teams, such as the proposed “community brigades,” in disaster-prone areas.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators (as implied in the article)
   SDG 13: Climate Action	13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.	Inclusion of human mobility and climate displacement as a key area in National Adaptation Plans.
   SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people.	Existence of policies and programs that allow climate-affected people to move with dignity.
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.	Establishment of municipal climate councils with representation from refugees, Indigenous Peoples, and other affected communities.
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.	Reduction in the “cycle of violence and displacement” linked to climate-induced resource scarcity in regions like Ethiopia.
   SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	11.5: Significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… by disasters.	Creation and operational readiness of community brigades to respond to disasters.

Source: news.un.org