ABSTRACT
Climate displacement - forced movement of individuals and communities as a result of natural hazards and the effects of climate change - is set to be among the greatest humanitarian, human rights and potentially existential challenges of twenty-first century. This chapter begins by examining the nature of the global challenge of climate displacement, including potential scale of climate displacement and the specific vulnerabilities of climate-displaced persons. It then examines the normative foundation of state responsibility to prevent climate displacement and outlines specific measures that states may take to meet this responsibility. In all countries it is the poor and marginalised who suffer disproportionately from climate displacement. Effectively preventing climate displacement will require a range of legislative, policy and practical actions spanning disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and general development. More broadly, an effective approach to preventing climate displacement must build on state responsibilities at the international level by ensuring domestic legal and policy regulation including regional and international communities.
