Today, almost 15 per cent of the global population is on the move, with more than 244 million international migrants and 763 million internal migrants, UN statistics estimate. An increasing proportion of these migration flows are linked with the scarcity of natural resources. Consequently, on the one hand, the importance of managing natural resources is increasingly recognized in migration policies. On the other hand, these migration flows have become an important issue to consider in various international, regional and national policy frameworks, including those related to water resource governance.

The increasing number of global water challenges and associated migration patterns – in many cases forced migration – create a strong impetus to discuss and integrate migration policy concerns in water governance at the global level. This policy brief examines the nexus between migration and fres hwater governance and explores the potential synergies between both policy domains.