The Climate Academy 2023
Agenda

Time: 15:00 to 16:30 (CEST) | 08:00 to 09:30 (PET) | 18:00 to 19:30 (ICT)

Welcome:

Renate Bleich, Chair, Munich Re Foundation

Keynote speaker:

Prof. Anthony Oliver-Smith, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Florida

Panel discussion:

Donna Lagdameo, Officer-in-charge, Vulnerability Subdivision, UNFCCC

Koko Warner, Director of Global Data Institute (GDI), IOM

David Durand-Delacre, Senior Researcher, UNU-EHS

Rachel Harrington-Abrams, PhD Candidate, King’s College London

Moderation:

Himanshu Shekhar, Associate Academic Officer, UNU-EHS

This session will begin with a brief introductory keynote from guest speaker Prof. Antony Oliver Smith, who will share lessons on the complex process of planned relocation, drawing on his work on disaster displacement, resettlement and place attachment. The panelists focus will then be to take a global perspective to reflect on the place of planned relocation in international negotiations, policies, and processes. Indeed, the topic of planned relocation does not neatly sit in any global agenda, with relevant connections to be made to adaptation, disaster risk reduction, losses & damages, human rights, and other agendas. Relatedly, it is clear that relocation is rarely a desirable option for communities, and may not be an appropriate subject or solution in many contexts. Guest panelists will be invited to reflect on these issues and the contributions the Climate Academy can make to move discussions forward at the international level as well as in conversation with stakeholders working at national and local scales. 

Key questions:

• Why is the Climate Academy focusing on planned relocation – and what do we mean by this?
• Where does the subject of planned relocation (and its alternatives) currently sit within global agendas and institutions?
• What contributions can the Climate Academy make to discussions and negotiations on planned relocations in global fora?

Time: 11:00 to 12:30 (CEST) | 04:00 to 05:30 (PET) | 16:00 to 17:30 (ICT)

Panel discussion:

Filimone Ralogaivau, Climate Adaptation Officer, Climate Change and Adaptation Team, Office of the Prime Minister, Fiji

Dr. Chandni Singh, Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), India

Prof. Nishara Fernando, Professor in the Department of Sociology, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Moderation:

Kees van der Geest, Head of EMIC Section, UNU-EHS

Planned relocations are highly contextual and conditioned by national legal and policy frameworks, including national guidelines and standard operating procedures. This session engages with the experiences of national authorities in bringing together actors across scales and spheres of governance for political decision-making as well as planning and implementation of planned relocations. Through the experiences of speakers, the session aims to point out opportunities and challenges for ensuring an inclusive and equitable process, as well as breaking and bridging institutional and thematic silos. 

Key questions:

• When does or should a national conversation about relocation begin?
• How do governments engage with communities on this topic?
• What national frameworks exist today with which to assess, address, and finance relocation needs?
• To best engage with this topic, what kind of support and training do government planners need?
• What opportunities do speakers see for learning and exchange on this topic across country contexts?

Time: 16:30 to 18:00 (CEST) | 09:30 to 11:00 (PET) | 21:30 to 23:00 (ICT)

Speaker:

Erica Bower, Stanford University, USA
What we know, don't know, and need to learn

Sarah Koetzlow, Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), Switzerland
Leaving Place, Restoring Home: Enhancing the Evidence Base on Planned Relocation Cases in the Context of Hazards, Disasters, and Climate Change

Lauren Grant, Global Centre for Climate Mobility (GCCM), USA
Conceptual foundations for decolonizing planned relocation research, policy and practice: Accounting for prior experiences of environ-mentally-related displacement

Alberto Preato, UN-Habitat, Kenya
From Displacement to Development: A Resilience Approach. Operationalizing the SG’s Agenda on internal displacement in the Sahel.

Moderation:

David Durand-Delacre, Senior Researcher, UNU-EHS

Speakers in this session will provide an overview of the key knowledge and policy gaps they identify in current relocation research, practice, and policy. Based on this assessment, the panel will focus on how to move forward, identifying some promising policy pathways, research methods, databases and tools that can support discussions and actions on relocations, as well as general principles – for example of justice, inclusivity, and cultural sensitivity - that should guide efforts to close gaps in knowledge and practice. 

Key questions:

• What do we mean when we speak about “planned relocations”?
• What are key research and implementation gaps on relocation decision-making and planning?
• What methodological, practical, ethical principles should guide efforts to fill gaps in planned relocation knowledge?
• What resources are available for communities and government planners concerned about habitability and considering relocation?

Time: 08:30 to 10:00 (CEST) | 01:30 to 03:00 (PET) | 13:30 to 15:30 (ICT)

Speaker:

Tammy Tabe, East-West Centre, Hawai’i, USA
Reconstructing atoll life on a limestone island: Stories of displacement and resilience by the Gilbertese People.

Merewalesi Yee, University of Queensland, Australia
Climate-related voluntary immobility in Fiji

Dr. Giovanna Gini, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
Thinking forced mobility through a relational lens

Olivia Yates, University of Auckland, New Zealand
"They just deport you back": Lessons from the Ad-hoc Migration of Tuvaluans and I-Kiribati to Aotearoa New Zealand

Moderation:

Claudia Fry, Research Associate, UNU-EHS

Across the world, planned relocations continue to be reminiscent of colonial interventions. Research, policy and practice on planned relocation may risk perpetuating inequities and exacerbate uneven power dynamics unless specific attention is paid to addressing colonial legacies. In addition, distinct worldviews, knowledges, and relations to places held by community members may be overlooked within technocratic planning frameworks. This session elaborates on community choice and participation through decolonial perspectives. Panelists will present ways of putting Indigenous knowledges, worldviews and rights at the center of planned relocation by changing the ways in which academics do research.

Key questions:

• What do decolonial research and implementation methods look like in contexts faced with growing risks to habitability and potential relocation need?
• What changes to research, planning, narratives and funding processes need to happen for communities to truly have a voice and power over decision-making?
• How can local and indigenous knowledges be meaningfully integrated into these processes?

Time: 13:00 to 14:30 (CEST) | 06:00 to 07:30 (PET) | 18:00 to 19:30 (ICT)

Speaker:

Dr. Melanie Pill, Lowy Institute, Australia
Planned relocation and Loss & Damages

Carolyne Cherop, Parliament of Kenya
Enabling Community-led Relocations: The Critical Role of Legislative Interventions in Addressing Climate Change-Related Displacement

Dr. Md Abdul Awal Khan, Independent University Bangladesh
Challenges in Relocating Climate Displaced People in Bangladesh: Legal and Policy Perspectives

Danang Nizar, Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Indonesia
Recognition of indigeneity status: why it is important for rights-based planned relocation

Moderation:

Kees van der Geest, Academic Officer, Head of EMIC Section, UNU-EHS

Efforts at the national level around the world require legislative work and the application of normative frameworks. Speakers in this session will provide insight from research, policy, and practice. They will reflect on the different kinds of policy frameworks and normative principles – adaptation plans, provisions for losses & damages, disaster risk reduction, human rights – that can be applied at the national level to ensure that relocations happen in the most positive conditions possible. Acknowledging that legislative interventions and policy frameworks often fall short in their application, panelists will reflect on the necessary conditions (including political leadership, institutional coordination, resource mobilisation, and the recognition of past marginalisation...) and practices (including consultation and collaboration, capacity-building, and the creation of accountability mechanisms) for successful planned relocation.

Key questions:

• What national legislative, normative frameworks and principles can/should be applied to the topic of planned relocation?
• How does relocation decision-making and planning at the national level relate to global agendas, e.g. on adaptation, disaster risk reduction, human rights, and loss & damages?
• What financial and technical resources are required at national level to assess risks, engage in inclusive dialogue with communities, and finance needs? 

Time: 17:30 to 19:00 (CEST) | 10:30 to 11:00 (PET) | 22:30 to 23:00 (ICT)

Speaker:

Robin Bronen, Alaska Institute for Justice, USA
Rights, Resilience and Community-led Relocation

Alex Arnall, University of Reading, United Kingdom     

Sostina Takure, ACT Alliance Zimbabwe

Moderation:

David Durand-Delacre, Senior Researcher, UNU-EHS

The aim of this panel is to go beyond superficial ideas about community participation. Speakers will draw on their experiences to discuss the conditions and practices that enable or hinder communities' ability to take ownership and leadership of relocation decision-making. The session will also involve critical reflection on the politics of relocation. It will cover the crucial but contentious questions of who can and should initiate relocation processes, as well as who should take responsibility for the logistical and financial implications.

Key questions:

• Who do we mean when we say “community”? Who represents and speaks for communities?
• Sometimes, even initiating a conversation about relocation can be harmful and divisive – when and under which conditions should such conversations be initiated, and by whom?
• What does meaningful community ownership of relocation decision-making and planning look like?

Time: 11:00 to 12:30 (CEST) | 04:00 to 05:30 (PET) | 16:00 to 17:30 (ICT)

Speaker:

Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Wade, Université Assane Seck de Ziguinchor, Sénégal
Intégration des migrations dans le processus de développement territorial du Sénégal (Outils et méthodes)

Dr. Hélène Rey-Valette, Maître de Conférences, Université de Montpellier, France

Luisa Baptista de Freitas, IOM Dakar, Sénégal

Moderation:

David Durand-Delacre, Senior Researcher, UNU-EHS

Face aux risques climatiques croissants, la relocalisation planifiée des personnes et des biens apparaît aujourd’hui bien souvent comme une solution d’adaptation au changement climatique, permettant la mise à l’abris des aléas. Ce type de déplacement collectif, souvent à l’échelle d’une communauté ou quartier, pose de nombreuses questions tant logistiques, financières, normatives et institutionnelles que politiques et émotionnelles – des vies, des emplois, des lieux culturels étant en jeu. De plus, la relocalisation planifiée doit être pensée dans un cadre plus large de recomposition territoriale, et comme une solution parmi d’autres : que ce soit des mesures d’adaptation permettant de rester sur place ou d’autres formes de migrations. Les participants à cette discussion partageront leurs recherches et expertises sur ces thèmes, menant à un échange sur les besoins actuels en recherches et politiques publiques sur ce thème. La discussion se conclura par une des questions-réponses avec le public. 

Questions clés:

• De quoi parle-t-on avec en utilisant le terme « relocalisations planifiées?
• Quels sont les enjeux principaux à prendre en compte dans les recherches et politiques publiques à ce sujet?
• Dans quelles dynamiques plus larges de migrations et recompositions territoriales s’inscrivent les relocalisations planifiées? 

Time: 13:00 to 14:30 (CEST) | 06:00 to 07:30 (PET) | 18:00 to 19:30 (ICT)

Speaker:

Dr. Oana Stefancu, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
The Voices of Ghoramara Island: The case for planned relocation

Hanne Wiegel, Wageningen University, Netherlands
Safe from what? Understanding environmental non-migration in Chilean Patagonia through ontological security and risk perceptions

Frank Kwesi Nansam-Aggrey, National Disaster Management Organisation, Ghana 
Assessing community-based flood risk communication systems for persuasive relocation: a case study of weija-gbawe municipality

Dr. Kwame Ntiri Owusu-Daaku, University of West Florida, USA
How Not To Support Community-Led Relocation: Lessons from the Keta Sea Defense System Community Resettlement Program

Moderation:

David Durand-Delacre, Senior Researcher, UNU-EHS

This session explores the interrelated notions of choice, resistance, and support when it comes to relocation decision-making.  Communities, state, and civil society actors often disagree about whether relocation is desirable at all, and if it is, what form it should take. Such disagreements may also take place within communities, as some people may choose to move, while others resist the very idea, choosing to stay. Although autonomous relocations do occur – when communities move without external assistance – in most cases some form of support is required. The speakers in this session will draw on their knowledge of specific case studies from Chile, Ghana, and India to explore these themes and highlight diverse perspectives on relocation. They will address varied questions emerging from such disagreements. Who can or should initiate the relocation process? Is planned relocation a measure of last resort? What kinds of support do communities need when relocating? Who should provide this support, and in what manner? 

Key questions:

• When and under which conditions should a conversation about planned relocation be initiated – at the national level and/or with specific communities?
• Who gets to initiate that conversation, and how can one ensure that the conversation is both inclusive and harm-reducing?
• What kind of support do communities need from external partners? 

Time: 15:00 to 16:30 (CEST) | 08:00 to 09:30 (PET) | 20:00 to 21:30 (ICT)

Speaker:

Dr. Annah Piggott-McKellar, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
A livelihood analysis of climate-related relocation: are people better off ten years on?

Dr. Olumuyiwa Adegun, Federal University of Technology, Nigeria
Leaving to stay, ‘staying’ to live: social and environmental aspects of planned relocation from slums to new housing in African cities

Narjes Zivdar, UNHCR, Iran
Grassroots Insights into Risk and Resilience: Rethinking the Role of Community in Climate-induced Relocations for Afghan Refugees in Iran

Dr. Carolien Jacobs, Leiden University, Netherlands
Following planned relocation over time in Mozambique: Winners, losers, and remaining challenges

Dr. Ryan Alaniz, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, USA
From Strangers to Neighbors: Strategies for successful long-term resettlement

Moderation:

Ann-Christine Link, Research Assistant, UNU-EHS

Despite the long history of relocations, longitudinal studies and evidence of the long-term impacts of relocation remain scarce. This session brings together participants with new insights on the shortcomings and opportunities for all actors and agents involved in planned relocation. This includes perspectives of the post-relocation phase from both moving and receiving communities and associated impacts on wellbeing, social cohesion, and livelihoods. 

Key questions:

• What are the long-term impacts and implications on residents’ livelihoods after relocation?
• What are the shortcomings and opportunities of relocation?
• What roles can external actors in NGOs and governments play to support relocation decision-making and planning?

Time: 13:00 to 14:30 (CEST) | 06:00 to 07:30 (PET) | 18:00 to 19:30 (ICT)

Welcome:

Renate Bleich, Chair, Munich Re Foundation

Keynote speaker:

Beth Ferris, Georgetown University

Panel discussion:

Donna Lagdameo, UNFCCC, Geneva

Koko Warner, IOM, Germany

David Durand-Delacre, UNU-EHS, Germany

Beth Ferris, Georgetown University, USA

Hind Assaoui Bennani, IOM, Senegal 

Moderation:

Himanshu Shekhar, Associate Academic Officer, UNU-EHS

At the end of a week of intense discussions on planned relocation, we conclude the online week of events with reflections on the path forward to supporting communities currently facing complex decisions about staying or relocating. The panelists will draw on their own institutional perspectives and lessons learned from the week to identify promising paths to durable solutions for people considering relocation. 

Key questions:

• What key gaps in knowledge and action were identified?
• How can the Climate Academy participants leverage their collective expertise at the intersection of science and policy to
• What contributions can the Climate Academy make to discussions and negotiations on planned relocations in policymaking circles at multiple scales?