West and Central Africa — Migration in the context of climate change, environmental degradation and disasters (2023)

Environmental change is increasingly recognized as a central and cross-cutting issue globally and in West and Central Africa (WCA) in particular. However, comprehensive data on environmental migration is lacking, hindering the in-depth understanding of the links between environmental change, disasters, and migration in WCA.  

According to the IOM’s definition, “environmental migrants are persons or groups of persons who, predominantly for reasons of sudden or progressive change in the environment that adversely affects their lives or living conditions, are obliged to leave their habitual homes, or choose to do so, either temporarily or permanently, and who move either within their country or abroad” making the essential criterion to identify environmental migrants to require that environmental phenomena play a predominant role in the migration decision.

This first dashboard aims at providing detailed information and evidence on people on the move in the context of disasters, climate change, and environmental degradation.