Environmentally-Induced Population Displacements and Environmental Impacts Resulting from Mass Migrations
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Environmentally-Induced Population Displacements and Environmental Impacts Resulting from Mass Migrations Table of Contents Environmentally-Induced Population Displacements and Environmental Impacts Resulting from Mass Migrations .................................................1 Acknowledgements ..........................................................1 Preface ...................................................................1 List of Acronyms Used Throughout the Book.................................2 Statement of Principles ...................................................3 Foreword...............................................................3 Introduction ...........................................................4 I. Environmentally-Induced Population Displacements ....................7 II. Environmental Impacts Resulting from Mass Migrations ..............14 III. Bridging Migration and Environmental Impacts .....................19 Summary of Proceedings ...................................................22 Opening...............................................................22 Environmentally-Induced Population Displacements ......................23 Environmental Impacts Resulting from Mass Migrations ..................29 The Relation between Environmentally-Induced Population Displacements and Environmental Impacts Resulting from Mass Migrations ........................................................39 Symposium Follow-up ...................................................43 Extracts of Main Contributions ...........................................44 1. Extracts from General Background Paper .............................44 2. Extracts from Opening Speech.......................................55 3. Extracts from Background Paper .....................................56 4. Extracts from Statement ............................................57 5. Extracts from Introduction .........................................58 6. Extracts from Background Paper .....................................60 7. Extracts from Introduction .........................................63 8. Extracts from Background Paper .....................................65 9. Extracts from Case Study ...........................................68 10. Extracts from Case Study ..........................................69 11. Extracts from Introduction ........................................71 12. Extracts from Background Paper ....................................74 13. Extracts from Introduction ........................................76 14. Extracts from Background Paper ....................................79 15. Extracts from Case Study ..........................................81 16. Extracts from Introduction ........................................82 17. Extracts from Background Paper ....................................85 18. Extracts from Case Study ..........................................87 19. Extracts from Case Study ..........................................90 20. Extracts from Presentation and Demonstration of PEKO PE.........94 21. Extracts from Case Study ..........................................96 22. Extracts from Introduction ........................................98 23. Extracts from Background Paper ...................................100 24. Extracts from Background Paper ...................................102 25. Extracts from Closing Speech.....................................104 Documents Made Available at the Symposium...............................105 Symposium Agenda........................................................109 List of Participants ....................................................112 Back Cover ..............................................................120 i ii Environmentally-Induced Population Displacements and Environmental Impacts Resulting from Mass Migrations International Symposium Geneva, 21-24 April 1996 UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES IOM International Organization for Migration RPG - Refugee Policy group CENTER FOR POLICY ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH ON REFUGEE ISSUES Printed in October 1996 ISBN-92-9068-059-8 Published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UNCHR, RPG or IOM. Acknowledgements This conference was convened jointly and funded in part by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Refugee Policy Group (RPG), who wish to thank the Government of Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as the United Nations Fund for Populations Activities (UNFPA) for providing generous additional funding for the Symposium. The three co-organizing organizations are grateful to Hermen J. Ketel, principal consultant for the Symposium, for his valuable contribution and advice in bringing the project to fruition; and to IUCN for its technical assistance to the Symposium, in particular for providing an expert to prepare and present a paper on strategic environmental planning. Finally, they extend their thanks to the Symposium Steering Committee, Jacques CuØnod and Laetitia van Haren (RPG), Reinhard Lohrmann (IOM) and Hideyuki Mori (UNHCR), for their work on the Symposium and the publication of this report. Preface Following on the successful 1992 IOM/RPG Nyon Conference, Migration and the Environment, the International Symposium on Environmentally Induced Population Displacements and Environmental Impacts Resulting from Mass Migrations convened in April 1996 in Chavannes-de-Bogis, Switzerland offered a platform to go deeper into the question of how to break through the vicious circle of mutually reinforcing environmental damage and mass migration. Participants debated the development of policy guidelines to minimize detrimental impacts and addressed the issue of which entities should initiate and coordinate the various actions necessary to respond to the twin challenge of preventing population movements triggered by environmental damage and mitigating the damage caused by mass displacements. 1 The Symposium was significant in producing by consensus a Statement of Principles, reproduced below, that sets a framework for action to prevent and mitigate environmentally induced population displacement and to address the negative environmental consequences of mass migration. At the three-day Symposium a number of background papers were presented, which generated a fruitful exchange among its participants. These debates and discussions are reflected in the Summary of Proceedings. Summaries of the papers and conference statements are also included in this volume. The Symposium benefited greatly from the wide range of experience and expertise of its 60 participants, who came from over thirty developing and developed countries. They were drawn from government circles as well as from the intergovernmental, non-governmental and academic world. Some held responsibilities at the policy-making level, and several were directly involved in field activities. In all discussion sessions and presentations, environmental destruction was consistently analysed in its wider socio-economic and political context. This allowed the Symposium to take a significant step forward in the current thinking about the complex connections between natural resource management and use, land tenure legislation, conflict and population displacement. The three co-organizers hope that as a result of this Symposium there will be increased promotion of appropriate environmental actions in the field. Nicholas T. Morris Director Division of Programmes and Operational Support UNHCR Robert G. Paiva Director Department of Planning, Research and Evaluation IOM Dennis O. Gallagher Executive Director RPG List of Acronyms Used Throughout the Book Arcinfo: A brand name for a software programme of processing computer images AVHRR NOAA:Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer CARE: A US based Non-Governmental Agency CFC: Chlorofluorocarbon DHA: The Department of Humanitarian Affairs EIA: Environmental Impact Assessment ERDA: A brand name for a software programme of processing computer images FAO: The Food and Agricultural Organization FEWS: Famine Early Warning System GEF: The Global Environment Facility GEWS: The Global Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture GIS: Geographic Information Systems GPS: Global Positioning Systems 2 GTZ: Gesellschaft fr Technische Zusammenarbeit (The German Development Cooperation Agency) IASC: Inter-Agency Standing Committee IDPs: Internally Displaced Persons IFAD: The International Fund for Agricultural Development IGO: Inter-governmental Organization IIED: The International Institute for Environment and Development IOM: The International Organization for Migration IUCN: The World Conservation Union Landsat TM: Land Satellite Thematic Mapper LWF: The Lutheran World Federation MOSS: Marine Observation Satellite System NCS: National Conservation Strategies NEAP: National Environmental Action Plans NGO Non-governmental Organization NVDI: The Natural Vegetative Density Index OECD: The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development PCI: Processing Computer Images RPG: The Refugee Policy Group SPOT: Satellite Probatoire dObservation de la Terre TFAP: Tropical Forestry Action Plans. UNCED: United Nations Conference on Environment and Development UNDP: The United Nations Development Programme UNEP: The United Nations Environmental Programme UNFPA: The United Nations Fund for Population Activities