And for those interested in this topic, the whole @fmreview.bsky.social Issue—outlining the whole spectrum of complex issues of mobility and immobility: financing, justice, slow- versus sudden-onset climate impacts, planned relocation, uncertainty—is worth a read: www.fmreview.org/climate-choi...

Read more from our piece here: www.fmreview.org/climate-choi...

And catch us all at COP30 in Belém if you'll be around! Ayoo Irene Hellen will speak alongside the UN High Commissioner for Refugees on an excellent panel tomorrow, and Qiyamud Din will speak on an official side event on the 18th.

None of this is a cry for charity. It SAVES the world money to prepare for disasters before they happen (not to mention mitigate the worsening impacts of climate change), uses resources MORE efficiently by channeling them to local actors, and REDUCES budgets by supporting self-sufficient local orgs.

So what else is needed to move the needle? ACCESS, INFORMATION, and RESOURCES are critical components for meaningful leadership by refugees in climate action: to ACCESS spaces where decisions are made, have all necessary INFO to contribute informed opinions, and have RESOURCES to support themselves.

More at the local level from the article, the case of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan shows how important it is to include refugees in disaster preparedness and response (and how refugees are providing these functions through mutual support networks without much government support at the moment).

Another impt piece we don't mention in the article: Local implementation of NAPs must include refugees as well. We break down how to do this at the county and municipal level for the refugee-hosting areas in Kenya, which has already adopted a NAP. (See: www.refugeesinternational.org/reports-brie...)

With support from the GoU, we hosted a three-day capacity-building session in Kampala for refugee leaders from 12 of Uganda's settlements to learn about the NAP, including how they could be involved in its development & implementation, especially at the district level (radioyei.org/news/environ...).

Moving to the national level, we've worked with the Government of Uganda for refugees to be involved in the development of their National Adaptation Plan (NAP). Their genuine consultation requires refugees to know about WHAT the NAP is and HOW they can contribute (and WHY it matters for their lives)

For future COPs, countries and civil society organizations must consult with refugees ahead of their delegation prep & bring them as integral parts of negotiation teams. And for representation to be truly legitimate, refugees should have a seat at the negotiation tables alongside Party delegates.

So what can policymakers learn from the cases we highlight?
As #COP30 kicks off tomorrow, let's start with the UNFCCC: Refugees should be at the table for every negotiation. Design of the Global Goal on Adaptation should disaggregate data by displacement status. $ should go directly to local actors.

This isn't empty rhetoric or about participatory principles. When those most affected develop policies, they bring expertise in the specific contexts they live to build better solutions, avoid maladaptation, & use financing 15-32% more efficiently (see: www.refugeesinternational.org/reports-brie...)

Yet refugees and other displaced communities are excluded in climate planning processes and actions, from local disaster responses to national adaptation planning and international processes like COPs and the International Migration Review Forum
(See us www.refugeesinternational.org/reports-brie...)

We have evidence that refugees are highly exposed to the impacts of climate change, including severe weather, and are often more vulnerable to these impacts because of restrictions on their right to movement, work, shelter (see: @sonjafransen.bsky.social et al. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...).

Our key message is that refugee voices are excluded from key decision-making spaces related to climate change, but their leadership is crucial for the creation of fair and effective policies. We focus on the spaces we know best: from refugees living in Uganda and Pakistan, to at the UNFCCC processes