By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has urged world leaders to prioritise the rights and dignity of people living on the frontlines of the climate crisis, including migrants, internally displaced persons, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities.
IOM warns that floods, heatwaves, droughts and storms are already forcing millions from their homes each year. While most displaced people never cross international borders, the organisation notes that they remain uprooted and vulnerable. Experts also caution that entire nations could, in the near future, become uninhabitable due to extreme drought or be submerged by rising sea levels.
At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the IOM is pressing negotiators to ensure that climate mobility becomes a central part of global adaptation strategies. Ugochi Daniels, the organisation’s Deputy Director General, said early warning systems, resilience services and livelihood support in high-risk areas are essential, as many displaced people want to remain or return home if conditions are safe.
“When you ask displaced people what they want and what solutions mean for them, it’s about being able to go home,” Daniels said. “But the homes they know and the livelihoods they had have been impacted by climate change. So, it’s about building their resilience”.
Daniels expressed optimism that COP30 could mark a turning point, particularly in strengthening national adaptation plans and financing for loss and damage. She stressed that commitments on climate financing must translate into real action for local communities, Indigenous groups and migrants.
“There’s a lot that has been said about climate finance and the need for it to reach the people who need it most,” she said. “But we want to go beyond saying it. We want to go beyond recognising it — it has to be implemented”.
She added that human mobility needs to be “front and centre” in climate policies, describing COP30 as a “great opportunity” to embed these priorities in negotiations and outcomes.
