Vienna, Austria: On 5th May we held a Budapest Process Webinar on Migration as a Response to Environmental Change: Examples from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. This is a crucial topic since environmental changes (disaster, climate and other environmental events) do not only affect our surroundings, they can become a driver of populations on the move. Traditional definitions of push and pull factors for migration need to be revised as a result.
The event was chaired by Sedef Dearing (Head of the Budapest Process Secretariat) and opened by Gulbahar Arslan Elnasharty (representing Turkey, Chair of the Budapest Process) and Katarina Stohrova (European Commission).
The session began with a presentation on environmentally induced migration from Caitlin Katsiaficas (Policy Analyst, ICMPD) and was followed by Harjeet Singh (Global Lead on Climate Change, ActionAid International) speaking about the key results and lessons learned from the South Asia Migration and Climate (SAMAC) project. Marija Raus (Regional Portfolio Manager, Silk Routes Region, ICMPD) also introduced the forward looking dimension in considerations from the SAMAC project.
It was agreed that this is a complex issue which needs to be looked at in more detail with input from Silk Routes countries, particularly affected by environmentally induced displacement and migration. Indeed, over 9.5 million people have been displaced due to environmental factors in South Asia in 2019 alone. Vulnerable groups such as women, children and those already displaced are particularly at risk. There are links between climate and migration; it is however nuanced - and regional cooperation and a joined-up response is needed in order to address this topic. This webinar was the first step on this journey, and it was agreed that addressing this topic is aligned with ”The Istanbul Commitments on the Silk Routes Partnership for Migration”, adopted in 2019.
The Budapest Process is chaired by Turkey, with Hungary as the Co-chair. ICMPD serves as the Secretariat of the Budapest Process, and the Dialogue is funded by the European Commission as well as Turkey, Hungary, Switzerland, Poland, Finland and Norway.