Abstract/Summary

Key Messages

• Migrants were mainly young adults, with men doing high-risk jobs like construction and women doing less risky jobs such as factory work. 
• Migrant households’ livelihoods are affected by unpredictable weather conditions, reduced water availability, and extreme events like heatwaves, droughts and floods, which lowered crop yields and fish stocks. This led to income loss and financial instability, especially for farming households. 
• Migration was primarily driven by economic hardships, including poverty, job scarcity, and debt. Yet, these hardships were worsened by climate impacts, particularly droughts and floods, which reduced crop yields. 
• Migrant households dealt with these impacts by participating in community development projects, adopting climate-resilient farming techniques, and diversifying income sources. However, to enhance their coping and adapting capacities, more efforts are required to improve social protection measures, local vocational training, and integration of climate resiliency plans into local development initiatives.
• To enhance local livelihoods, increase adaptability, and decrease climate change-induced migration, the following investments are needed:

At sub-national level:

• Agricultural training: 

o Implement training at the local level, utilizing local knowledge and resources.

o Focus on small-scale climate-resilient techniques suitable for individual farmers and small communities.

o Introduce climate smart agriculture and sustainable farming practices that lead to more sustainable agricultural ecosystems, long-term productivity, and year-round income generation.

o Ensure commune agriculture officers provide effective extension services to improve agricultural productivity.   

• Irrigation infrastructure: 

o Build and maintain irrigation systems, including solar-powered water pumping stations, within communes and districts to support local agricultural production. 

o Bolster the capacities of community-based organizations (CBOs) to manage water resources to ensure sustainability.

• Community engagement: 

o Improve community involvement in the planning and implementation of development projects.

o Establish or strengthen local committees to oversee the adaptation strategies and ensure they meet the specific needs of the communities.

o Establish local agriculture markets in communes to enhance access to markets for local products.  

• Youth’s skills building:

o Encourage youth with/without disability to join Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs for skills development and climate-resilient job opportunities.

o Incentivize local youth to work in community development initiatives.

o Establish youth networks to share best practices and mobilize skills resources.

At national level:

• Policy development:

o Integrate climate change-induced migration into relevant policies, strategies and plans for an enhanced response to climate change impacts.  

o Create policies that support sustainable agricultural practices that are agroecologically specific, and provide incentives for their adoption.

o Integrate or mainstream climate change impact on migration into Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and its Action Plan.  

• Research and development:

o Promote research and development in precision agricultural technologies that optimize resource use and boost climate resilience. 

o Map out local and external resources to support climate change adaptation or mitigation projects. 

• Capacity building:

o Strengthen the capacities of both national and   sub-national governments and community organizations to design and execute ‘fit-for-purpose’ adaptation projects.

Implementation guidance:

• Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each government agency involved in the policy actions.

• Provide step-by-step implementation plans, including timelines and required resources.

• Plan policy dialogues to discuss and refine these recommendations with stakeholders from both sub-national and national levels.