News

The Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have released today a new policy brief titled ‘Human Mobility in Mountain Areas in a Changing Climate’. The brief highlights the critical link between climate change and human mobility in mountain areas, home to 1.1 billion people globally. 

Mountain areas provide vital resources but are highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, experiencing rising temperatures, shifting weather patterns, and an increase in extreme meteorological events. These climate changes are shifting human mobility patterns in mountain communities.  

“As rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns, and extreme events disrupt livelihoods, recognizing and addressing these mobility shifts is essential to safeguarding both the people and the vital resources these regions provide”- Rosalaura Romeo, Mountain Partnership Secretariat 
 
The policy brief refers to existing research and findings from IOM’s multinational study in Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, highlighting how climate hazards disrupt livelihoods, force migration and trigger resource conflicts. Mountain communities face growing challenges from climate change and socio-economic pressures. Traditional livelihoods such as pastoralism are diminishing, while increasing labor migration often forces workers into informal jobs without social protections. These challenges are further intensified by disaster displacement, which limits access to adequate housing, food, and essential services. Despite these pressures, many resist relocation due to strong attachment to their homeland.  

The brief concludes with a series of recommendations for policymakers, researchers, and the international community. It urges for stronger advocacy at UNFCCC COPs to spotlight the challenges of mountain communities, such as livelihood vulnerability due to climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, pastoralism, and tourism; forced migration and displacement driven by climate-related disasters; and the effects of unsustainable resource use. The brief calls for expanded research on these issues, including extending the IOM assessment to new regions. It also emphasizes the need to reinforce Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge and practices with emerging technologies and recommends integrating mobility concerns into climate adaptation policies at all levels and improving disaster risk management through better coordination, planned evacuations, and relocations. “Integrating human mobility into climate adaptation policies is essential for mountain regions. By doing so, we can help these communities build resilience and secure their future” - Pablo Escribano, Regional Thematic Specialist Migration, Environment and Climate Change 

The IOM and Mountain Partnership call for greater global attention and collaboration to protect the livelihoods and well-being of mountain people in a changing climate. 

Read the policy brief here