Groundswell: Preparing for Internal Climate Migration

This Global Climate Action Summit event discussed the findings of the World Bank’s flagship report Groundswell: Preparing for Internal Climate Migration and its implications for inclusive and climate-resilient urban development. According to the report, by 2050, more than 143 million people in three regions, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia, could be forced to move within their own countries to escape the slow-onset impacts of climate change, such as water stress and crop failure. The report is the first and most comprehensive study of its kind to focus on the nexus between slow-onset climate change impacts, internal migration patterns and development. Many cities, urban and peri-urban areas will need to prepare for an influx of people, including through improved housing and transportation infrastructure, social services, and employment opportunities.

Agenda

The event included a presentation of the report’s main findings from Groundswell Report Co-Author, Viviane Clement from the World Bank and a panel discussion on the implications of these findings for urban planning with the President of 100 Resilient Cities, Michael Berkowitz, Executive Director of the Institute for the Future, Marina Gorbis, Advisor to the World Bank’s Climate Change Group, Stephen Hammer, and UC Berkeley Professor in Business and Technology, Lucas Davis. The discussion will focus on emerging innovations and climate-smart solutions for urban planning that integrate climate migration considerations.