Residents in Hawai‘i, Alaska and the Pacific Islands are on the front lines of the impacts of climate change, and moving to a safer location is one of many adaptation responses that communities are considering. The effects of climate change, especially storms and sea-level rise, pose a grave and immediate threat to many communities in the Pacific. For some, relocation will ultimately be the only sustainable choice.
On December 13-14, 2016, the “Symposium on Climate Displacement, Migration, and Relocation,” hosted by the White House Council on Environmental Quality, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, the Environmental Law Program of the University of Hawaiʻi William S. Richardson School of Law, the Alaska and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Programs, and the Pacific Islands Climate Science Center will address questions about migration and relocation for communities in the continental United States and the Pacific Islands.

As the climate changes, warming temperatures, increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, and coastal inundation have the potential to severely impact coastal communities worldwide. As the impacts of climate change become more pronounced, it is likely that more families and communities will consider relocation.

This symposium will provide an opportunity for stakeholders, researchers, policy experts, indigenous leaders, and local, state, and federal government officials to explore legal and policy opportunities and challenges arising from climate displacement. This includes questions about how to plan for and implement voluntary migration and community-led relocation as adaptation strategies to the impacts of climate change, both domestically and in the context of the Pacific Islands.

Over the two days, symposium participants will, among other things, explore: (i) the challenges faced in identifying and addressing climate-related displacement; (ii) U.S. domestic climate-related displacement and community-led relocation; (iii) climate-related migration in or from the Pacific Islands; and, (iv) common needs and opportunities for affected communities.

Registration for this event will open on October 31 at the link below. For more information, please visit:

https://seagrant.uaf.edu/conferences/2016/climate-migration/index.php

We hope you are able to be a part of this timely and informative discussion.