Climate, the environment and site management – overview

Climate change, environmental degradation, and natural hazards are increasingly shaping displacement patterns and conditions in sites. For displaced communities, these risks often translate into greater exposure to floods, storms, heat, and environmental damage, while limited services and infrastructure constrain coping capacity. As climate impacts intensify both displacement and risk, Site Management plays a key role in maintaining safe, dignified, and functional living environments. Site Management supports climate‑ and risk‑responsive action by integrating hazard analysis, cross‑sector coordination, and continuous engagement with site populations. Across the site lifecycle — from site selection and layout to daily operations, care and maintenance, preparedness, and transition — Site Management helps reduce exposure to hazards, improve environmental conditions, and support sustainable, community‑driven solutions.

The findings show that Site Management translates climate and environmental commitments into concrete, site-level action across multiple contexts. In Syria, the distribution of low-emission heating pellets produced from agricultural residues reduced reliance on firewood, lowered harmful emissions, improved indoor air quality, and generated livelihood opportunities for host communities. In South Sudan, repeated climate-driven flooding around Bentiu IDP Camp prompted a site-based initiative linking women's empowerment with climate resilience, introducing floating gardens, awareness-raising on gender-based violence, and a Women's Innovation Hub that integrated women's perspectives into broader site decision-making. In Yemen, a community-led green belt initiative around an IDP site — using rows of trees and drip irrigation — stabilized soil, reduced wind erosion, improved shelter safety, and promoted sustainable land and water management. Across all three contexts, Site Management acted as the operational bridge between risk analysis, sectoral coordination, and community-driven adaptation, demonstrating that climate action in displacement settings is most effective when it is participatory, locally owned, and integrated across sectors.