14 Nov 2013

Scheme to help climate threatened Pacific nations prepare for migration

7:30 pm on 14 November 2013

Several United Nations agencies are combining skills for a new initiative addressing the impacts of climate change in the Pacific.

The Economic and Social Commission for the Pacific, the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Development Programme are to look at the island countries' capabilities for dealing with migration resulting from climate change.

ESCAP's Iosefa Maiava says they want to help vulnerable communities to determine what capacity they have, and what they will need, to facilitate both internal and external migration.

"If the need arises and if the individuals concerned and the governments concerned wish to. So it is not assuming that people will move but it is helping give people the opportunity to build capacity so that if and when the need arises and if communities and governments agree that it is the best thing for them to do, they can do so."

ESCAP's Iosefa Maiava