Uganda set to host a high-level inter-ministerial conference on migration and climate change
Uganda is set to host a high-level Inter-Ministerial Conference on Migration, Environment and Climate Change in East Africa and the Horn of Africa.
The conference, according to Sam Cheptoris, the Minister of Water and Environment will be hosted by the Government of Uganda from July, 27 to 29, 2022 at Speke Resort Munyonyo.
"This conference is being organized by the Government of the Republic of Uganda, through the Ministry of Water and Environment in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Office for East and Horn of Africa, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and East African Development Bank (EADB)'s Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC) based in Uganda," Cheptoris told the media on Friday.
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According to the Water Minister, the conference will be hosted under the theme of "Enhancing cooperation in relation to climate change induced human mobility, including migration, displacement and planned relocation."
He said that it is geared towards developing an integrated approach to climate change-induced mobility across the region.
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"It is envisaged that the outcome of the Conference will contribute to raising the important topic of human mobility in the context of climate change, at the global level for serious consideration," he added.
This high-level gathering comes at a time when the Horn of Africa is suffering the brunt of climate change effects and it remains one of the most vulnerable regions to climate variability and climate change.
The region regularly faces a wide range of natural hazards and slow-onset events and processes leading to different forms of human mobility (displacement, migration, returns and planned relocation).
Disasters that have been linked to natural hazards, environmental degradation, and the adverse effects of climate change are among the leading and overlapping drivers of human mobility in Africa.
The region is most often affected by floods, landslides, and tropical cyclones, as well as slow-onset events and processes, such as severe droughts, water level rise, environmental degradation, and changing rainfall variability.
Reports show that individual migration decisions are often based on environmental and other economic, political, social, and demographic factors.
The minister said that we have all known for years that climate change will force people to move and we see the evidence of this every day here in Uganda.
"Therefore, we can no longer talk about climate change or environmental degradation, without talking about climate change-induced human mobility, including migration and displacement," Cheptoris stressed.
"A case in point is the Buduuda landslides where we have had to relocate some surviving communities to Kiryandongo District and other safer areas. The other is the R. Nyamwamba that keeps flooding because the snow on Mt. Rwenzori is melting away as a result of rising temperatures due to climate change and environmental degradation."
He said that this has caused loss and damage of property, lives, and livelihoods, including government infrastructures.
The first two days of the conference according to Cheptoris will focus on technical discussions among member states and technical experts in line with the conference theme on their national priorities, challenges and best practices for climate change and migration.
"The youth sessions will also be held and will run in parallel with the technical sessions. These are aimed at listening to the voices of the youth on issues of migration environment and climate change."
The third day, according to him, will be the official closure of the conference and will involve the signing of a Declaration by the Member State's respective Ministers.
He said that it would also be graced by the presence of several Heads of State on the third day, led by President Museveni. Others include the Presidents of Kenya, Senegal and Egypt among others.
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"The conference will also bring together relevant Ministers of Environment and the Ministers who manage Migration and their technical experts, from the 12 countries under the IGAD, EAC and the IOM East and Horn of Africa Regions namely Burundi, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda and other African member states," he stressed.
It is expected that the meeting will conclude with the signing of a Joint Declaration by States as a landmark for enhancing regional cooperation in relation to climate change-induced human mobility, including migration, displacement and planned relocation.
Cheptoris said that the Declaration, amongst other objectives, will provide a standpoint from which the 12 States intend to articulate regional priorities with respect to the negotiations planned at COP27, with particular focus on the adverse impact of climate change on human mobility.
