Human Rights, Climate Change and Migration in the Sahel
Published
30 November 2021
Focus
Migrants
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While the impacts of climate change are indiscriminate, those already in vulnerable situations are at the greatest risk of suffering human rights harms as a result of their adverse effects. These effects are linked to migration both in acting as a potential driver and in affecting experiences of migrants. The Sahel is one of the regions of the world that is already seeing significant and complex linkages between migration and the adverse effects of climate change. After providing a brief overview of the context in the Sahel, this report describes human rights impacts in the context of climate change-related migration. It then articulates some of the key elements of a human rights-based approach to climate change action and migration governance in the Sahel. The report also makes recommendations to States in the region, the international community, and other stakeholders to strengthen laws, policies and practices to protect the human rights of migrants and other climate change-affected communities in the Sahel.