FP Virtual Dialogue: Addressing the Root Causes of Climate Migration

October 28, 2021

Investing in climate resistant solutions

The climate is changing at an unprecedented pace, with often devastating impacts on communities around the world. Sudden-onset events like storms, droughts, and wildfires are occurring with increased intensity and frequency. At the same time, more gradual changes—including sea level rise, hotter temperatures, salinization, and desertification—are threatening livelihoods and contributing to conflict. By 2050, Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia will generate an estimated 143 million more climate migrants. Worldwide, more than 1 billion people will live in countries with insufficient physical and social infrastructure to withstand climate change.

The scope and scale of human migration driven by environmental factors is already testing the limits of international governance and cooperation. Tackling those threats requires an increased focus on mitigation and adaptation efforts, including climate-resilient approaches to international development. How are organizations using data derived from satellite imagery, climate projections, and historic trends to support risk-informed decisions about economic growth and social development? What is needed to ensure that programs and investments fit community and cultural needs and foster local capacity to confront challenges like changing climate patterns and extreme weather?

Foreign Policy, in partnership with Chemonics, will convene a dialogue to examine the nexus of climate and migration and the role of international development in tackling this urgent aspect of the climate crisis. A panel of experts will discuss how advances in climate modeling and data analysis are shaping the future of global development and how those tools can be applied to mitigate the root causes of climate migration. We will also explore approaches that harness on-the-ground expertise to forecast and manage risks and design mitigation and adaptation strategies that generate local solutions to climate change.

Join the conversation online using the hashtag #MitigatingClimateMigration

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Event Details

October 28, 2021 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

Live stream will begin at 11:00 am EDT.

Speakers

Congressman Joaquin Castro

D-Texas

Joaquin has worked hard to seize the opportunities created by the sacrifices of his grandmother and prior generations. Joaquin graduated with honors from Stanford University in ...

Joaquin has worked hard to seize the opportunities created by the sacrifices of his grandmother and prior generations. Joaquin graduated with honors from Stanford University in 1996. He then went on to attend Harvard Law School where he received his Juris Doctorate degree in 2000. Upon his return to San Antonio at 28 years old, Joaquin joined a private law practice and was elected to the Texas Legislature. In 2012, Joaquin was elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives as representative of Texas' 20th Congressional District. Despite a difficult political environment during his time as state legislator, Joaquin transcended partisan gridlock to help restore millions of dollars in funding to critical health care and education programs. As Vice Chairman of the Higher Education Committee and Democratic Floor Leader in the Texas House, he was also at the forefront in proposing forward-thinking legislative reforms in the areas of mental health, teen pregnancy, and juvenile justice. Now in his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Joaquin serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, as well as the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee. He was the 2013 Co-President for the House freshman Democrats and currently serves as Chair of the Texas Democratic Caucus. He created the Trailblazers College Tour, personally raising money to send underprivileged students on college visits, giving them exposure to some of the nation’s best institutions of higher education. He also founded SA READS, San Antonio’s largest literacy campaign and book drive. To honor and express gratitude to San Antonio grandparents and other family members raising relatives who aren’t their children, Joaquin created the annual Families Helping Families dinner and awards. He has also taught as a visiting professor of law at St. Mary’s University and as an adjunct professor at Trinity University. Joaquin is active on several boards of education-related, non-profit organizations, including the National College Advising Corps, and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials’ Taskforce on Education.

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Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE was sworn-in as Mayor of Freetown in May 2018 with a commitment to transform Freetown using an inclusive, data-driven approach to address challenges in th...

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Justin Ginnetti

Sr. Officer, Information Management and Risk Analysis, IFRC

Justin Ginnetti is the Senior Officer for Information Management and Risk Analysis at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Prior to joini...

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Jami Montgomery

Division Chief, Resilient Communities and Systems, USAID Center for Resilience

Jami Montgomery serves as the Division Chief for the Resilient Communities and Systems Division within USAID's Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS), Center fo...

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Reena Ninan

FOUNDER, GOOD TROUBLE PRODUCTIONS

Reena is a television journalist who has worked as a White House correspondent, foreign reporter, and news anchor for ABC, CBS, and Fox News. She has reported around the world ...

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Reena-Ninan-podcast-HERO-women-economic-recovery

Christopher Perine

Director, Corporate Environmental Sustainability, Chemonics

Chris Perine is an environmental management specialist with over 25 years of international experience working on climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental impact a...

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