Pre-COP Roundtable ‘Avenues of Action on Climate and Displacement’

Over the last decade, weather-related disasters have displaced approximately 250 million people within their own countries. Floods, storms, droughts and heatwaves are already uprooting communities. Some people move temporarily and return to their homes and livelihoods, while others cannot go back and move within countries or across borders in search of safety. 

It is thus time to make a plan to build resilience for those adapting to climate, take action in providing support to people migrating across borders and recognising the challenges of climate-related displacement within countries. 

In this roundtable, speakers and panellists will consider potential avenues of action to help adapt and prepare for climate-related displacement, including working with host communities to reduce risks for both newcomers and improving adaptation strategies for existing residents. 

Examples will be explored from Bangladesh and elsewhere.

Speakers

• Welcome: Professor Ruard Ganzevoort, ISS Rector
• Scene-setting: Hyeonggeun Ji, Researcher, HSC-ISS
• Joint action 1: Paul van de Logt, Head of Climate, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Joint action 2: Kevin Playford, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Australia in the Netherlands
• Roundtable discussion moderated by Professor Thea Hilhorst, HSC Director and featuring
  • Professor Joyeeta Gupta, UvA
  • Dr Bishawjit Mallik, University of Utrecht
  • Joep Verhagen, Director Global Centre on Adaptation
  • Dr Rodrigo Mena, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Association
• Closing by H.E. Faiyaz Murshid Kazi, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the Kingdom of the Netherlands

The event will be followed by networking drinks.