Countries most vulnerable to climate change claim they receive fewer resources to address its impacts.

During the closing ceremony of a diploma course on forced displacement due to climate change at INTEC, specialists warned about the unequal distribution of global funding for climate adaptation and protection of displaced populations.

SANTO DOMINGO. - The countries most affected by climate change and facing the greatest challenges in assisting displaced people are, paradoxically, those that receive the fewest resources to adapt to its effects, noted Pablo Vizcaíno, head of the national office of UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, during the closing ceremony of the Diploma Course on Forced Displacement due to Climate Change and Community Resilience held in the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), through its Center for Gender Studies (CEG).

During his keynote address “Forced displacement, international protection and the rights of vulnerable populations”, Vizcaíno pointed out that there is a profound inequality in the distribution of resources allocated to climate adaptation.

“The most fragile countries receive just $2 per person per year in climate change adaptation funding, while less vulnerable countries receive up to $161 per person,” he explained.

The specialist highlighted that this gap limits the response capacity of nations that receive displaced populations and that, at the same time, face their own economic, social and environmental vulnerabilities.

Vizcaíno noted that currently more than 117 million people have been displaced worldwide and that 75% of them live in territories highly exposed to the effects of climate change, a reality that exacerbates conditions of poverty, food insecurity and access to basic services.

“Climate change has become a multiplier of vulnerabilities,” he said, explaining that phenomena such as droughts, floods, and extreme weather events affect communities that already face structural limitations with greater intensity.

About the diploma

The Diploma in Forced Displacement due to Climate Change and Community Resilience was offered by the Social Sciences and Humanities Area of ​​INTEC under the coordination of the Center for Gender Studies (CEG) with funding from International Development Research Center (IDRC).

Research professor Solhanlle Bonilla coordinated the program and was assisted by Jenifer Vanderhorst. A total of 40 participants, from institutions involved in risk management and resilience, were trained and received certificates of participation.

Roula El-Rifal, representing IDRC/CRDI, stated via video link that protecting displaced populations requires public policies built on evidence and the experiences of the affected communities themselves. In this regard, she emphasized that “the Global South should be recognized for regional experiences that have expanded rights and solutions for displaced populations.”

Likewise, Dalul Ordehi, dean of the Area of ​​Social Sciences and Humanities, pointed out that the challenge of forced displacement due to climate change “is not only what we can do individually, but what we can do as a collective to collaborate, improve and work in favor of the people who are forced to leave their communities.”

Meanwhile, Desiree del Rosario, coordinator of the CEG and the Dominican chapter of the Chair of Forced Displacement, sharing the main points of the future Rabat Declaration on international protection, highlighted the need to place displaced persons at the center of institutional responses, under the principle that "human dignity is above borders and policies."

The activity brought together representatives from international organizations, public institutions, social organizations and professionals from different areas, who completed a training program aimed at understanding and addressing the challenges of human displacement associated with climate change.

During the event, experiences and studies on community resilience in Latin America and the Caribbean were also presented, as well as proposals to strengthen the adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities in the face of extreme weather events.

Experts agreed that the challenge lies not only in responding to emergencies, but also in promoting public policies, financing, and development initiatives that reduce inequalities that make certain populations more susceptible to the effects of climate change.

Chair of Forced Displacement in the Dominican Republic

El Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) is the only university in the Caribbean that participates in the Chair of Forced Displacement in the Dominican Republic, an international research project led by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

The initiative's main purpose is to address forced displacement caused by climate change from a multidisciplinary perspective, incorporating local priorities into global agendas and increasing the participation and voice of forcibly displaced populations in political decision-making.  

Objectives include conducting research on the effects of climate change as drivers of forced displacement, with a focus on gender disparities, and formulating national and global policies based on the evidence collected.