Research agenda for advancing law and policy responses to displacement and migration in the context of disasters and climate change in Africa

This is the outcome of the virtual workshop series on developing a research and policy agenda for addressing displacement and migration in the context of disasters and climate change in Africa (April-July 2021). In Africa, regional laws and policies in a range of fields, including (but not limited to) climate change, disaster risk reduction, migration and free movement of persons, transhumance, refugee protection, human rights, protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and planned relocation have an important role to play in ensuring that those who choose to move, or are compelled to do so, can access safety, protection and lasting solutions. Yet, existing knowledge gaps regarding the scope and application of these laws and policies at the intersections of climate change, disasters and human mobility impede the realisation of the opportunities they present.

To support the implementation of this Research Agenda, the Climate Mobility Africa Research Network (CMARN) was launched, in November 2021, with the generous support of IOM and PDD. The objectives of the new Research Network are:

• To promote and facilitate critical and independent research on law and policy responses to disaster and climate change- related human mobility in Africa;
• To foster collaboration between researchers and policy experts with the goal of supporting evidence-based law and policy development on displacement and migration in the context of disasters and climate change and their implementation; and
• To develop the knowledge and capacity of researchers in and from Africa on these issues, including early career researchers.