The current and potential environmental impacts of climate change and policies for mitigation and adaptation raise a wide spectrum of normative and operational challenges. Amongst the most significant of these concerns are those pertaining to people who may be induced, or compelled, to migrate in response to changing environmental conditions resulting from extreme weather events and long-onset impacts such as rising sea-level and desertification. This research project addresses two key issues: (i) analysis of the legal protection gaps with regard to environmentally induced cross-border displacement; (ii) assessment of national/regional/global models aimed at approaching this normative gap. Supporting this research project is in line with the combined efforts currently undertaken by both the Political Division IV and the Office for Migration to further the knowledge base regarding the nexus between climate change and migration and to prepare the grounds for appropriate future action.
