masterclass: Understanding climate change and migration

A one day course

Tuesday 23 May 2017
London, UK

Get to grips with the complex relationship between climate change and migration. Understand how changing weather patterns and disasters will alter patterns of migration. This one day course looks at what these changes mean for people, governments and civil society.

Book places

Sliding-scale prices based on ability to pay

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Interactive sessions

Learning through a series of interactive workshop sessions, teaching and discussion. The course runs for a full day between 11am and 4pm

Global perspective

Understand how climate change could re-shape migration and displacement across the world. Get to grips with how, where and when people could move.

The full picture

In depth exploration of how to address climate-linked migration including looking at international law and policy

Book places

Sliding-scale prices based on ability to pay

Attend

This one day course explores myth and reality of this complex issue. Climate change could radically change patterns of migration across the planet. Shifting weather and altered patterns of natural disasters could create new trends in migration and displacement.

This course explores this issue in depth and will provide everyone with a firm grounding in the latest evidence and policy.

Amnest International Human Rights Action Centre

Where and When

Amnesty International UK Human Rights Action Centre
17-25 New Inn Yard
London EC2A 3EA

11am – 4pm
Tuesday 23 May
Lunch and refreshments included

Book a place or apply for a free place

Why is this course relevant now?

The conflict in Syria and the refugee situation in Europe has left many asking about the connections between climate change and migration.

This course offers particpants the chance to engage with this topic in depth and explore one of the most controversial and complex issues facing society. 

A great deal of media attention and speculation has focused on how climate change might alter migration in the future. This course uses the latest evidence explore the issue.

Book places

Sliding-scale prices based on ability to pay

Climate and migration

Explore the science of climate change and how altered weather patterns and disasters will change migration.

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migration and displacement

Examine the kinds of migration that might result from climate change impacts. Look at where, when and how people might move. 

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War and conflict

Could a hotter planet lead to more conflict, and in turn more displacement? The course will look at the latest evidence.

adaptation, security or resilience?

Controversies exist about what kind of response is required to this issue. The course encourages attendees to explore and debate these topics

Case studies and examples

Several key case studies will illuminate the issue  including Syria, flooding in Pakistan, Typhoon Haiyan and the Pacific Islands.

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Evidence and data

Attendees will have the chance to examine some of the latest scientific evidence and research and explore what this evidence shows us.

Law and policy response

Critically assess the latest legal and political responses to climate-linked migration. Explore when and how law and policy might need to change.  

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Testimonies and stories

The course uses real testimonies gathered from across the world to help participants understand the experieneces of people forced to move by climate impacts

More about the course

This course will explore the complex relationship between the warming of the planet and how this may alter patterns of migration and displacement. The course will examine how events such as drought, desertification and disasters hold the power to re-shape patterns of migration. Crucially the course will look in depth at a number of case studies allowing participants to get to grips with the kinds of human movement that might occur. The course will look at who might move and where. 

The course also looks at how this issue can be addressed. This will include a critical examination of some of the current proposals. 

Currently a number of different approaches have been proposed by different scholars and campaigners. Rather than advocating any one solution this course will encourage participants to critically examine a number of these proposals. This part of the course will examine questions such as:

– do we need a new area of international law to address climate-linked migration?

– how are governments currently responding to the issue?

– how should people and countries be compensated for climate-linked migration?

Who is this course for?

  • Anyone interested in the consequences of climate change and how they might alter patterns of migration
  • People working on issues such as human rights, migration and refugees, international development, climate change, disaster relief and preparedness. 
  • Anyone working on connected issues from government, academia and civil society
  • Anyone wanting to gain an understanding of the political, legal and economic solutions to climate-linked migration and displacement

Book places

Sliding-scale prices based on ability to pay

interactive learning

The course is based around a series of interactive sessions. These sessions encourage participants to actively engage with the issues and evidence, and to debate these with other participants. The interactive sessions use a variety of techniques to provide an insight into often complex topics.

about the organisations

The Climate and Migration Coalition exists to challenge the lack of long-term strategies to support and protect people at risk of displacement linked to environmental change. Our goal is to ensure a people centred policy response at the national and international level by:

  • Building support for policies that allow people to strengthen their survival capacity through migration
  • Ensuring adequate assistance and protection for people displaced internally and cross border as a consequence of slow and sudden onset disasters.

Climate Outreach’s mission is to ensure climate change and its impacts are understood, accepted and acted upon across the breadth of society, creating a truly sustainable future.

About the tutor

Alex Randall is programme leader at the Climate and Migration Coalition. Alex started working climate-linked migration in 2009 when he worked for the government of Kiribati (a pacific island state) at the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen. He started working with the Climate and Migration Coalition in 2012. He is lead author of Moving Stories, an exploration of the experiences of people forced to move by climate change from across the world. His journalism includes articles on climate-linked migration for The Guardian, New Internationalist and Grist.

Images on this page:

 Pakistan: Still submerged, nearly six months on from the initial flooding. DFID/Russell Watkins (CC BY 2.0)

The Ganges Delta. From NASA 

Bangladesh. Adnan Islam. From Wikimedia Commons.  Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

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