SUMMARY REPORT FROM COP19 DIALOGUE ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND COMMUNITY‐BASED RELOCATION: SUPPORTING ADAPTATION, PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS

This report summarizes a workshop held during COP19 as part of the Many Strong Voices (MSV) Programme. The dialogue focused on the challenges of climate-induced community-based relocation, specifically in the Arctic and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), emphasizing the need for participatory decision-making, international finance, and the protection of human rights and cultural identity.

• There is a critical shortage of international finance for community relocation due to extremely high costs. For example, the estimated cost for Kivalina, Alaska, is $400 million. The report notes that developed countries have a commitment to mobilize $100 billion in climate finance per year by 2020, which is necessary as many communities cannot afford to cover relocation expenses themselves.
• Relocation often leads to the loss of traditional and cultural identity. In Shishmaref, Alaska, the report highlights that unique art forms and styles are at risk of being lost. Furthermore, the experience of relocation varies significantly based on whether the process is voluntary or involuntary/forced, with even the best-case scenarios being described as traumatic.
• The report identifies three primary entry points for engaging with the UNFCCC process regarding relocation: the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) process, the Adaptation Framework (Cancun Agreements), and the Loss and Damage (Decision 3/CP 18) mechanism. While the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, and Tuvalu have included relocation in their NAPAs, the Loss and Damage discussions have focused more on extreme weather events than slow-onset events.
• There is a conceptual debate over whether relocation falls under 'adaptation' or 'loss and damage'. Some participants argued that if a community can no longer adapt and has no choice or ability to return home, it qualifies as loss and damage. Others suggested that adaptation is a strategy to prevent displacement, meaning forced displacement is inherently a matter of loss and damage.
• National governments are viewed as critical for creating relocation strategies, but the report argues these should be multi-sectoral and placed under a general national plan rather than strictly within a climate change or adaptation framework. In Fiji, the government developed a national relocation policy and guidelines following a 2012 national summit on climate change.
• The report notes a significant disconnect between policy and reality, particularly for small islands where relocation costs can be ten times the available budget. In the Caribbean, it is noted that national economic planning driven by tourism often ignores coastal erosion and climate impacts, potentially basing the economy on assets that may not exist in 10-15 years.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). SUMMARY REPORT FROM COP19 DIALOGUE ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND COMMUNITY‐BASED RELOCATION: SUPPORTING ADAPTATION, PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/COP19_CB_Relocation_7Feb2014.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. SUMMARY REPORT FROM COP19 DIALOGUE ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND COMMUNITY‐BASED RELOCATION: SUPPORTING ADAPTATION, PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/COP19_CB_Relocation_7Feb2014.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=SUMMARY REPORT FROM COP19 DIALOGUE ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND COMMUNITY‐BASED RELOCATION: SUPPORTING ADAPTATION, PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/COP19_CB_Relocation_7Feb2014.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndsummary, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{SUMMARY REPORT FROM COP19 DIALOGUE ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND COMMUNITY‐BASED RELOCATION: SUPPORTING ADAPTATION, PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/COP19_CB_Relocation_7Feb2014.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }