Policy Analysis on Migration, Environment and Climate Change Kyrgyzstan

For both policy and cooperation in the area of climate and human mobility, the significant concern remains with creating conditions that enable people to have options to safely stay, to leverage the full potential benefits of dignified migration, and to avert, minimize and address displacement and related protection needs – especially as countries are faced with decisions to expand mobility options that have been constrained throughout the COVID-19 crisis. In Central Asia, migration is recognized as an undeniable source of prosperity, innovation and sustainable development, with the region remaining reliant on mobility where millions are on the move in search of better work and life opportunities, becoming a major contributing factor to economic development. At the same time, this mobility creates challenges and risks for countries of origin, transit and destination, as well as the migrants themselves. Migration is and will continue to be shaped by climate impacts and environmental degradation. These mobility-related challenges extend beyond national boundaries and need to be addressed regionally. Climate change impacts will accelerate and influence migration drivers, often by exacerbating environmental degradation in the region’s vulnerable ecosystems, including the Aral Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Tien Shan and Pamir Mountains, and the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins. Different types of migration are sensitive to these changes.