Botswana, like the rest of the African continent, is facing a climate crisis, despite the fact that we have contributed very little to global carbon emissions causing today’s climate change. Average temperatures in Botswana have already increased by 1.5°C, with the arid interior parts of the country observing as much as 2°C increases, according to the World Bank. As a result, Botswana is experiencing prolonged drought and flooding, which have caused a significant reduction in our crop yields, as well as loss of livestock and biodiversity.
The frequency of these extreme weather events has brought hardship and devastation to the nation’s critical infrastructure, and if unmanaged, could potentially result in the forced migration and displacement of our citizens. Key economic sectors, such as agriculture, tourism and health, also remain highly vulnerable to climate impacts. Botswana is not alone in facing these profound challenges. Recent findings by the Africa Climate Mobility Initiative show that over the coming decades, the African continent will see a three-fold increase in climate-forced migration and displacement. Up to 5 percent of the continent’s total population, or 113 million people, are projected to become internally displaced by 2050 as a result of the climate crisis.
Communities throughout southern Africa are already seeing the impact now with Tropical Cyclone Freddy, the longest-ever cyclone in history, which has displaced nearly 400,000 people so far in Malawi. While most African countries primarily experience displacement of their citizens within their own borders, for my sub-region, this reality is compounded by the challenges of cross-border mobility. Botswana, along with its neighbors South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, are forecasted to see the largest increase in climate-driven migration in the next 30 years.
Africa must take urgent action to address climate mobility, with the support of the international community. Indeed, Botswana is committed to lead from the front, putting people at the core of our actions to respond to the climate crisis. The international community needs to uphold existing commitments for climate adaptation finance and ensure universal access to early warning systems. We must help communities move out of harm’s way and direct investments towards areas of prospective settlement. This means we need to better anticipate and plan for climate mobility.
Thus, it is critical that our efforts are based on the best available data and analysis, including state-of-the-art forecasting and modelling capabilities. This is why Botswana is building a new data hub in Gaborone to improve our own digital and innovation capacity. And we are partnering with the UN Global Centre for Climate Mobility to develop climate mobility blueprints to ensure the best forecasting and anticipatory tools to inform our development of adaptation strategies and policies.
This also means broadening support for Botswana and the African continent with international partners like the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which has comprehensive field knowledge and data that can help inform and empower effective collective action. In that regard, I personally deeply appreciated engaging with Amy Pope, the U.S. Candidate for Director General of IOM, who joined hands with President Masisi and other African leaders at the Climate Mobility Pavilion at COP27 in Sharm-El-Sheikh last November to underscore the importance of an evidence-based, people-centered approach to climate-forced migration and displacement. Her words and vision resonated deeply with us: “We must work with the whole of society taking into account the impact on the people who are the most vulnerable to climate change. We must find ways to finance our response to climate change so that the communities who are at most at risk stand a chance to respond to what is happening. We must act together.”
This comprehensive approach will be key in addressing the many factors that will determine the success of climate adaptation journeys of Africans. As Botswana and its neighboring nations answer this urgent call to action, we count on international institutions with able leadership, frontline experience and a commitment to join us in supporting locally-anchored solutions and empowering vulnerable communities.
This is why the choice of the next Director General of IOM is a real test for all member states to elect a leader who understands the urgency of climate mobility and truly listens to those who are most impacted by it, especially the people of our beloved continent of Africa.
Collen Kelapile is the former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Botswana to the United Nations, and former President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council
The frequency of these extreme weather events has brought hardship and devastation to the nation’s critical infrastructure, and if unmanaged, could potentially result in the forced migration and displacement of our citizens. Key economic sectors, such as agriculture, tourism and health, also remain highly vulnerable to climate impacts. Botswana is not alone in facing these profound challenges. Recent findings by the Africa Climate Mobility Initiative show that over the coming decades, the African continent will see a three-fold increase in climate-forced migration and displacement. Up to 5 percent of the continent’s total population, or 113 million people, are projected to become internally displaced by 2050 as a result of the climate crisis.
Communities throughout southern Africa are already seeing the impact now with Tropical Cyclone Freddy, the longest-ever cyclone in history, which has displaced nearly 400,000 people so far in Malawi. While most African countries primarily experience displacement of their citizens within their own borders, for my sub-region, this reality is compounded by the challenges of cross-border mobility. Botswana, along with its neighbors South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, are forecasted to see the largest increase in climate-driven migration in the next 30 years.
Africa must take urgent action to address climate mobility, with the support of the international community. Indeed, Botswana is committed to lead from the front, putting people at the core of our actions to respond to the climate crisis. The international community needs to uphold existing commitments for climate adaptation finance and ensure universal access to early warning systems. We must help communities move out of harm’s way and direct investments towards areas of prospective settlement. This means we need to better anticipate and plan for climate mobility.
Thus, it is critical that our efforts are based on the best available data and analysis, including state-of-the-art forecasting and modelling capabilities. This is why Botswana is building a new data hub in Gaborone to improve our own digital and innovation capacity. And we are partnering with the UN Global Centre for Climate Mobility to develop climate mobility blueprints to ensure the best forecasting and anticipatory tools to inform our development of adaptation strategies and policies.
This also means broadening support for Botswana and the African continent with international partners like the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which has comprehensive field knowledge and data that can help inform and empower effective collective action. In that regard, I personally deeply appreciated engaging with Amy Pope, the U.S. Candidate for Director General of IOM, who joined hands with President Masisi and other African leaders at the Climate Mobility Pavilion at COP27 in Sharm-El-Sheikh last November to underscore the importance of an evidence-based, people-centered approach to climate-forced migration and displacement. Her words and vision resonated deeply with us: “We must work with the whole of society taking into account the impact on the people who are the most vulnerable to climate change. We must find ways to finance our response to climate change so that the communities who are at most at risk stand a chance to respond to what is happening. We must act together.”
This comprehensive approach will be key in addressing the many factors that will determine the success of climate adaptation journeys of Africans. As Botswana and its neighboring nations answer this urgent call to action, we count on international institutions with able leadership, frontline experience and a commitment to join us in supporting locally-anchored solutions and empowering vulnerable communities.
This is why the choice of the next Director General of IOM is a real test for all member states to elect a leader who understands the urgency of climate mobility and truly listens to those who are most impacted by it, especially the people of our beloved continent of Africa.
Collen Kelapile is the former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Botswana to the United Nations, and former President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council
