The University of the Philippines (UP) Resilience Institute (UP RI) – Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (UP NOAH) Center co-organized a two-day Risk Index for Climate Displacement (RICD) Co-Creation Symposium and Policy Dialogue with the United Nations (UN) Migration Agency – International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). This event was held last July 11 and 12, 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. The symposium aims to gain an increased understanding of the current and future impacts of climate change in relation to migration and displacement. This event was aided by the European Commission Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (DG-ECHO), a project that supports the development of RICD particularly in the pilot countries of Fiji, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
In the past decade, different disasters have caused over 200 million internal displacements in Asia and the Pacific where natural hazards such as typhoons, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions have emerged as primary drivers. Additionally, it is expected that the internal climate-induced displacement from Slow Onset Events will also increase by 2050 with about 48 million people in East Asia and the Pacific and about 40 million in South Asia being affected.
IOM, UP RI, and AIT are spearheading the creation of Risk Index for Climate Displacement (RICD), a risk index and a predictive model that will improve quantification, understanding, and forecasting of potential climate-induced displacement and other possible challenges related to climate change and migration. It also embodies the evidence and data component of a much larger initiative to help avert, minimize, and address displacement connected to climate change. In response to the trends of climate-induced displacement, the three partner institutions will utilize this symposium and policy dialogue to facilitate a cross-sectoral dialogue and explore different viewpoints of experts from the fields of climate change (CC), displacement, disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), hazard identification, socioeconomic vulnerability and resilience, and other relevant disciplines.
There were over 50 participants at the said event. Dr. Alfredo Mahar Lagmay, Executive Director of UP RI, provided his opening remarks. He was accompanied by Dr. Sarah Lou Arriola, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific of IOM, Dr. Indrajit Pal, Associate Professor and Chair of the Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Management in AIT Thailand, and Michelle Cicic, Head of Regional Office (Asia and the Pacific) of DG-ECHO, the other opening speakers. The opening remarks were then followed by two more keynote speakers, Ms. Rania Ahmed Sharsh, Director of Climate Action at IOM HQ, Geneva, and Secretary Robert Borje, Commissioner and Vice Chair of the Philippines Climate Change Commission.
A panel discussion about data, innovation, and collaborative action to address the challenges of Climate Change and Displacement in Asia and the Pacific was conducted as well. The panelists include Dr. Thannaletchimy Housset, Research Manager, Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, Geneva, Mr. George May, Migrant Protection and Development Specialist, UNDP Regional Bureau, Bangkok, Mr. Krishneil Narayan, Executive Director and Principal Consultant, Sustainable Future Consultancy, Fiji and was moderated by Dr. Olga Aymerich, Regional Data Hub Coordinator, IOM, Bangkok. Mr. Bradley Mellicker, Senior Regional Emergency and Post Crisis Specialist Emergency and Post-Crisis (IOM), and Dr. Aaron Opdyke, Senior Lecturer in Humanitarian Engineering at the University of Sydney (Australia) were also present at the event.
Aside from Dr. Lagmay, UP RI was represented by EnP. Jerico Mendoza and Ms. Patricia Anne Delmendo of the Flood Modeling Component (FMC), Mr. Kenneth Suarez of the Hazards Assessment Team (HAT), and Ms. April Tegelan, EnP. Arge Louise Joy S. Esquivel, and EnP. Joy Santiago of the Planning Component. All researchers come from the different components of the UP NOAH Center. During the two-day event, UP RI representatives helped in the discussion of topics and concepts about Hazard and Exposure, Vulnerability, Climate change impacts, triggers, thresholds, and tipping points for displacement, Data acquisition, analysis, validation, and predictive modeling. They also assisted in facilitating the necessary activities for each topic.
As mentioned by Dr. Lagmay during his opening speech, institutions such as universities, play a pivotal role in transformative development as they are uniquely positioned to lead efforts in understanding and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Despite the numerous studies made in the Philippines, the complexities of climate change and climate-induced displacement may still require more understanding and close collaboration with global organizations such as the IOM and the AIT will be of great help. This also entails more transdisciplinary and trans-sectoral research, dialogue, and cooperation to fully understand and address the impacts.
The event concluded with all the participants and partner institutions more equipped and a step closer to the goal of continuously supporting governments and communities to increase their resilience particularly those who are affected by climate-induced displacement.
