Climate change is affecting the way millions of rural people live, work and plan for their future. Extreme weather events and gradual environmental changes are making it harder for rural communities to rely on the land and natural resources that sustain their livelihoods and food security. Those with the fewest resources often have the least capacity to adapt.
When rural livelihoods are under pressure, migration may increase and traditional mobility patterns can be disrupted. Millions of people are expected to move as a result of climate change, particularly within their own countries. At the same time, when safe and undertaken by choice, migration can serve as a livelihood diversification and climate adaptation strategy, while migrants and diaspora communities can contribute knowledge, skills, networks and resources to climate action.
The growing importance of climate mobility calls for greater attention to its rural dimensions. Strengthening resilient rural livelihoods, expanding opportunities to adapt in place, and enabling safe and dignified migration are critical to helping rural communities respond to a changing climate.
At COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, FAO bring this rural perspective to global discussions around climate mobility, highlighting the links between climate change, migration, rural livelihoods and agrifood systems.
Migration
Migration in a changing climate
18/12/2025
This animated video brings to life the stories of two families in different parts of the world as climate shocks threaten their livelihoods and futures....
Climate Mobility Pavilion
From 9 to 19 November 2026, the Global Centre for Climate Mobility hosts the Climate Mobility Pavilion in the Blue Zone at COP31.
This year, under the theme Towards the climate mobility adaptation agenda, the Pavilion focuses on advancing efforts to translate shared commitments into practical solutions. Leaders, policymakers, international organizations, youth and community representatives will come together to discuss the right to stay, mobility with dignity, locally led adaptation, access to climate finance, and the protection of rights and heritage in the context of sea-level rise.
As a partner of the Climate Mobility Pavilion, FAO will strengthen its engagement at the intersection of climate change, human mobility, rural livelihoods and agrifood systems. FAO's contribution will also help enable the participation of civil society organizations, supporting more inclusive dialogue and representation in global climate discussions.
At COP31, FAO reaffirms its commitment to:
- Strengthen rural communities' resilience through climate-resilient technologies and practices.
- Harness migrants' and diasporas' contributions to climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, through investment, skills and knowledge transfer.
- Enable safe, regular and orderly migration by recognizing human mobility as a potential adaptation and livelihood strategy.
- Supports governments in integrating human mobility into climate policies and programmes to maximize migration’s benefits and address climate mobility challenges.
- Generate evidence on climate, migration and rural livelihoods to inform policies and improve climate mobility projections.
Related events
Date: 14 November, 10:00am–11:00am (panel) and 11:15-12:30 (workshop)
Venue: Climate Mobility Pavilion
Organizers: Global Centre for Climate Mobility and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat. Hosted by FAO.
Description:
This session brings together governments that have integrated climate mobility into their National Adaptation Plans and Nationally Determined Contributions and explores what kind of actions they foresee and what is now needed. The session sets up a follow-on workshop focused on implementation needs, exploring the tools and support that would allow governments and their partners to act on their climate mobility priorities.
Date: 16 November, 14:30-15:30
Venue: Climate Mobility Pavilion
Organizer: FAO
Description:
The event will explore how climate change is reshaping rural livelihoods and human mobility, and how policies and programmes can strengthen resilience, support safe and dignified migration and expand opportunities for those who move and those who stay, drawing on practical country experiences and lessons learned.
Date: 19 November, 9:30am – 10:30am
Venue: IOM Pavilion
Organizers: FAO and IOM
Description:
This event will showcase how a joint FAO-IOM programme in India is bringing together climate adaptation, resilient rural livelihoods and safe, regular migration to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable households and communities in drought-prone Telangana and coastal Odisha.
Projects
Story
Publications
Integrating human mobility through a rural livelihood lens into national adaptation and mitigation planning – Guiding framework
07/03/2025
When climate change undermines rural livelihoods, people may be compelled to move. This guide aims to support stakeholders involved in the design and implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to explicitly consider mobility from a rural livelihoods' perspective.
Integrating human mobility through a rural livelihood lens into national adaptation and mitigation planning – Toolkit
07/03/2025
When climate change undermines rural livelihoods, people may be compelled to move. This guide aims to support stakeholders involved in the design and implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to explicitly consider mobility from a rural livelihoods' perspective.
Managing climate mobility
21/07/2023
The effects of climate change are threatening the viability of rural livelihoods and increasing pressures to migrate. Managing climate mobility is one of the priorities of FAO’s work on rural migration. It aims to help people build climate-resilient livelihoods and thereby reduce the pressure to migrate; and help migrants and diaspora contribute to inclusive climate action. The leaflet is part of a brochure that presents FAO’s work on rural migration, along with each priority for action. The leaflet includes a description of what FAO does, with whom and why, presenting tangible results and stories from the field.
Climate change, migration and rural adaptation in the Near East and North Africa region
01/06/2023
While there are instances where individuals or households are forcibly displaced or leave because they feel a decent life is no longer possible, migration is more than just a response to an unfolding crisis. Under certain conditions, migration can be a proactive livelihood diversification strategy that contributes to rural households’ capacity to adapt to changing conditions.
FAO migration framework
15/04/2019
The "FAO migration framework" guides the Organization in carrying out its work on migration at global, regional and country levels. It aims to ensure greater coordination between technical units and decentralized offices, and strengthen coherence and synergies across the Organization. It presents FAO definition, vision and mission on migration and spells out the rational for FAO engagement in this area.