Human mobility in the context of climate change—including migration, displacement, planned relocation, involuntary immobility, and asylum-seeking—has significant security implications and is often closely connected to vulnerability, fragility, or conflict in origin, transit, and destination areas. It can act as a threat or risk multiplier, expose persons to insecurity, erode resilience and coping capacities, and negatively impact natural resources, social cohesion, and human health or wellbeing. However, human mobility can also contribute to development and strengthen security, stability, and climate resilience if it is supported by robust policies, legal frameworks, and interventions.

Fundamentally, mobility is a constant of human existence that interacts with climate change and insecurity in complex and context-specific ways that must be understood based on evidence to develop holistic solutions and identify synergies. Addressing the security-climate nexus and its internal and external dynamics requires deep knowledge of relevant thematic areas and cross-cutting aspects, such as finance, technology, and innovation.

This publication as part of SLYCAN Trust’s work programme on security, climate change, and environment seeks to contribute to a holistic and evidence-based understanding of the role of human mobility in this nexus, identify priority gaps to be addressed, and explore solutions that unlock synergies in the context of multilateral and regional policy processes.

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