Climate change to cause more migrations in APAC: ADB

More and more people from Asia and the Pacific region are expected to migrate in the coming years, as climate change is expected to result in extreme weather conditions, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The ADB today said that typhoons, cyclones, floods and drought are forcing more and more people to migrate.

The multilateral lender noted that natural calamities in countries such as Malaysia, Pakistan, China and the Philippines, caused temporary or long-term dislocation of millions.

"This process is set to accelerate in coming decades as climate change leads to more extreme weather," ADB said citing excerpts from a forthcoming report 'Climate Change and Migration in Asia and the Pacific'.

Calling governments to prepare themselves for increased migration due to climate change, the report said that no international cooperation mechanism has been set up to manage these migration flows.

"...Protection and assistance schemes remain inadequate, poorly coordinated, and scattered," it added.

ADB's Director (Poverty Reduction, Gender and Social Development Division) Bart W Edes said that climate-induced migration will affect poor and vulnerable people more than others.

On the other hand, the report said if properly managed, climate-induced migration could actually facilitate human adaptation and create new opportunities for dislocated populations in less vulnerable environments.