Background
Climate change is increasingly shaping patterns of migration and displacement, with significant implications for health, well-being and access to essential services. As a risk multiplier, climate change exacerbates existing vulnerabilities and compounds the challenges faced by refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum-seekers, migrants and host communities, particularly in fragile settings. These impacts can disrupt access to health care, intensify mental health and psychosocial needs, and place additional pressure on health systems.
As displacement becomes increasingly protracted, inclusive and climate-resilient health systems are essential to ensuring continuity of essential health services and equitable access to care. Yet climate change, human mobility and health continue to be addressed too often through separate policy, research and operational frameworks. Bridging these gaps requires stronger evidence, meaningful engagement with affected communities and coordinated action across sectors.
About the event
Co-organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations University (UNU), the Migration Youth & Children Platform (MYCP) and YOUNGO Health, this COP31 event will explore how research, evidence and lived experience can inform coordinated action at the climate–mobility–health nexus.
Bringing together expertise from the fields of health, climate change and humanitarian response, alongside the perspectives of young people and communities affected by migration and displacement, the session will examine how climate-related mobility affects the health of migrants and displaced populations, and how these populations can be meaningfully included in climate adaptation and health system planning.
The discussion will highlight opportunities to strengthen community-based primary health care, integrate mental health and psychosocial support into climate and health responses, and ensure that the knowledge, priorities and experiences of affected communities inform policy and practice. Through a panel discussion and interactive dialogue, participants will identify priority evidence gaps and practical opportunities to translate research into action, strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration and advance inclusive, climate-resilient health systems for migrants, displaced populations and host communities.
Participation details
In-person participation is available to COP31 registered participants with access to the Blue Zone. Online participation is open to all, with the event live streamed globally here.