Climate change-related disasters and human displacement: towards an effective management system

Disaster Law Working Paper Series Paper No. 4 

This paper addresses the so-called "climate refugees question", with a prevalent focus on cross-border movements. Given the current normative gaps and the incomplete scientific knowledge, it advocates for the implementation of a double-oriented strategy dedicated to the management of displacement induced by climate change related disasters.

The paper consists of three sections - i) in the first part, it provides a conceptual background for the understanding of the connections between climate change and migration; ii) in the second part it analyses critically the existing legal framework, and iii) in the last section proposes some changes to the current rules so to make the protection of displaced persons more effective.