Displacement fueled by climate change & conflict demands renewed conservation approach: IUCN

Conservation efforts need a renewed approach in the aftermath of an adversely changing climate and multiple conflicts globally, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has stated in a recent report.

The analysis, titled Planet on the move: Reimagining conservation at the intersection of migration, environmental change, and conflict, assessed conservation challenges and opportunities at the confluence of migration, environmental change and conflict.

While mentioning the issue of displacement, the IUCN report also intentionally used the phrase ‘humans and other species’ to portray the case of inter-species migration which goes beyond the scope of just human beings.

Climate change, destruction of natural habitats and resource scarcity drive the displacement of both human and non-human species like salmon, sharks, bats, birds and insects.  Many species move in search of necessities such as food, water, shelter, reproduction and safety, according to the report released by IUCN on June 21.

It pointed out that certain bird populations undertake mass seasonal migrations which coincide with local plant and insect blooms. 

“Large marine megafauna like whale sharks and some cetaceans make seasonal migrations to feeding and breeding grounds timed with the life cycles of lower trophic sphere species in the ecosystem. These lower trophic communities are changing structure and moving geographically due to climate change and other forms of environmental change,” the analysis added.

Torn apart by conflict

Simultaneously, conflicts, both large and small, disrupt the lives of millions, often forcing them to seek refuge in unfamiliar lands.

The report stated that climate change is a prominent cause of forced migration and is predicted to contribute to dramatic increases in the displacement of vulnerable people and other species over the coming decades.

According to the World Migration Report 2024 released by the United Nations on May 8, 2024, more than 216 million people across six continents will be on the move within their countries by 2050 in large numbers due to climate change 

The report profiled the Global South — Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and Oceania — in addition to the Global North (Europe and North America) to come up with a grim picture of how climate change is forcing people to move from their homes, within their home countries or continents.

IUCN warned that if the displacement of species, including humans, continues along current and predicted trajectories, then the conservation community faces an enormous challenge.

To prevent and mitigate conflicts, the conservation community must be proactive in engaging new partnerships and collaborative problem-solving with diverse stakeholders among the development, humanitarian, peacebuilding and migration communities at all levels to integrate agendas.  

The organisation suggested that international laws and policies need to improve adaptive capacity and resilience in places of origin to prevent and mitigate displacement, protect people and other species, reduce impacts and resolve conflicts in places of transit and destination. 

The mitigation of environmental change, support for the sustainability of adaptive migration and prevention of conflicts are key interrelated priorities.

“Given the complex linkages between migration, environmental change and conflict, we need to strengthen the dialogue about migration, environmental conservation, peacebuilding, and development throughout the humanitarian community. This report — led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature – is an excellent example of this growing partnership, and I hope that the expertise it contains will help further the dialogue about how to create a more sustainable and climate-resilient future,” Amy Pope, director-general of the International Organization for Migration stated in the report.