Environmental factors play an important role in increasing human vulnerability and driving migration and displacement. IOM is dedicated to supporting Latin American countries in their efforts to mitigate the risks of environmental and climate related stressors. In Argentina, attention was placed on capacity-building for disaster risk management in line with IOM’s strategy on migration, environment and climate change during 2017. In Peru, IOM joined the UN Evaluation and Disaster Coordination (UNDAC) team, in supporting of the Government of Peru, to assess the emergency caused by heavy rains, and mud- and landslides in several regions of the country in January of 2017. IOM deployed emergency staff in response to forest fires that have been affecting the central zone of Chile since mid-January, as part of the UN Evaluation and Disaster Coordination (UNDAC) team. In Bolivia, IOM also worked to raise awareness on migration and environmental practices and the relationship between migration and climate change. In this line, it was important to promote environmentally sound development in the country. IOM supported the Peruvian national government in including migration in national adaptation strategies on climate change. IOM provided special strengthening support to national stakeholders in El Salvador on the generation of information and evidence on human mobility and the displacement of vulnerable populations due to the effects of climate change.

The Central American and the Caribbean region has been identified as one of the most vulnerable to climate change and its effects in the world.

IOM’s strategy on environmental migration is centre on:

a) Preventing forced migration resulting from environmental factors to the extent possible.
b) Providing assistance and protection to populations affected by climate change and seeking durable solutions to their situation.
c) Facilitating migration as an adaptation strategy to climate change.
d) Working together with stakeholders to increase communities’ resilience to underlying risk factors and expected changes in their natural environment
IOM as the global lead agency of the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster in situations of natural disasters is involved in camp management support and in strengthening the capacities of local and national authorities in the region for natural disasters emergency relief.