World Environment Day is celebrated every year on the 5th of June and aims at raising awareness and celebrating environmental action, with a focus this year on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience.

Land degradation directly affects people’s lives and livelihoods, threatening water and food security, and contributing to migration and displacement. We need to take concrete action to achieve transformative change to tackle the climate and environmental crisis and its implications on human mobility.

Every year, millions of people are displaced because of disasters. In 2023, disasters led to 26.4 million new internal displacements (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre’s Global Report 2024). According to the World Bank, without early and concerted climate and development action, over 216 million people could become internal climate migrants by 2050. Concrete action is urgent.

IOM calls on all governments and parties to address the reality of the climate crisis, providing concrete solutions for people who are already on the move, for people who want to move, and for those who want to stay.

Well-managed migration and land restoration initiatives must be part of the solution. Those most affected by land degradation, desertification, and droughts, need to be included and empowered in decision-making and action.
 

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