Disaster displacement—the forced or involuntary movement of people associated with disasters—has devastating impacts on individuals and communities, creating humanitarian, development and human rights challenges. Since 2008, an average of 26.4 million have been displaced by sudden onset disasters each year. Both sudden-onset disasters, such as earthquakes and typhoons, and slow-onset disasters such as drought, are fueling disaster-related displacement.
Climate change is projected to increase disaster displacement as extreme weather events become more frequent and intense, particularly in developing countries.
Understanding who is most vulnerable and at risk of displacement and addressing these risks and vulnerabilities before a disaster strikes can help prevent displacement. This requires integration of displacement prevention actions in national and local DRR and development strategies as well as in humanitarian contingency planning.
This video was presented at the Working Session on Disaster Displacement, at the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction, on 16 May 2019, in Geneva, Switzerland.
