Planned relocation

The document argues that Southern Africa urgently needs climate adaptation funding, specifically for planned relocation, to protect populations from slow-onset climate impacts. It highlights a significant gap in adaptation finance, noting that most funding is directed toward mitigation or countries with high institutional capacity rather than the most vulnerable. The author advocates for planned relocation as a last-resort, voluntary, and developmental tool, warning against the poor outcomes associated with forced or poorly managed historical resettlements.

• Investing in climate adaptation provides a high economic return, with studies indicating that every US$1 invested generates between US$2 and US$10.
• There is a significant shortfall in adaptation funding, and costs are rising faster than the finance provided; annual costs are estimated at US$70 billion currently, potentially rising to US$140–US$300 billion by 2030.
• Adaptation financing is unevenly distributed and often ignores vulnerability; for example, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi are among the most affected by extreme weather but rank 32nd, 108th, and 75th respectively in financing received.
• South Africa received the highest amount of multilateral climate financing in the SADC region, yet only 2% of that funding is dedicated to adaptation.
• Planned relocation is almost entirely absent from major adaptation funding portfolios; none of the 400 projects funded by the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, and Global Environment Facility include it.
• Successful planned relocations must adhere to three core principles: they should be a last resort, they must be voluntary (based on free and informed consent), and they should be developmental so that people are better off after moving.
• Historical state-led relocations in Africa have often been problematic, including colonial-era forced removals and post-colonial 'villagisation' projects, such as a 2010 Ethiopian project where people were reportedly abused and moved to areas lacking basic facilities.

APA

Mbiyozo, A.-N. (2021). Planned relocation. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PB-167_2.pdf

Chicago

Mbiyozo, Aimée-Noël. Planned relocation. Institute for Security Studies, 2021. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PB-167_2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mbiyozo |first1=Aimée-Noël |title=Planned relocation |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2021 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PB-167_2.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mbiyozo2021planned, author = {Mbiyozo, Aimée-Noël}, title = {{Planned relocation}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2021}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PB-167_2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }