Environmental migration and displacement in Azerbaijan: Highlighting the need for research and policies

This policy brief first gives an overview of the environmental situation of Azerbaijan. Second, it explores how disasters and climate change may affect the population and its mobility. Lastly, it critically analyses national environmental policies and programmes, highlighting the need for further research and evidence on climate change impacts.

The key points of this publication are:

• Climate change is expected to exacerbate the intensity and frequency of environmental challenges in Azerbaijan.
• However, policies reviewing show that the linkages on migration-environment are not yet made in Azerbaijan.
• The link between environment and climate change and human mobility should be incorporated in Azerbaijan’s migration policies, as well as in national policies on environment and disaster risk reduction, with the aim of protecting environmental migrants and responding to their needs.
• Policies should provide protection to people who live in areas at risk of or that are affected by environmental degradation, while Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) displaced by natural disasters should be granted eligibility for the benefits set out in the 1999 legislation “on Status of Refugees and internally displaced persons” of the country.

Environment Migration Portal, Migration, Environment and Climate Change: Policy Brief Series Issue 4, Vol.2, April 2016. This document is part of the "Migration, Environment and Climate Change: Policy Brief Series" of the International Organization for Migration.