Learn about the economic consequences of migration due to climate change.
During the third forum of experts on the subject, held by CEG INTEC, specialists in the field evaluated the impact of climate change on human mobility and its effects on the global and regional economy.
SANTO DOMINGO. – It is necessary to strengthen public policies and international cooperation to face the challenges of forced displacement for environmental reasons, as well as the economic impact that these processes generate in local communities and in the receiving countries, as considered by the professionals who participated in the third installment of the Expert Forums: Climate Change and Forced Displacement, organized by the Center for Gender Studies of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (CEG-INTEC).
Paul Scrivener, Regional Thematic Specialist of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on migration, environment and climate change for the Americas and the Caribbean, and Solhanlle Bonilla, environmental economist, researcher at INTEC and current director of Research and Sustainability of the Ministry of Environment addressed the topic “Climate Change and Migration: Economic Consequences of the Environmental Exodus,” in a panel moderated by Ofelia Castro, in charge of the Intersectoral Coordination Division of the National Council for Climate Change.
Climate migration in the Caribbean and the Dominican Republic and its economic impact
When dictating the conference “Economic impact of climate migration: the case of the Dominican Republic”Bonilla explained that climate migration in the country and the Caribbean is driven primarily by exposure to extreme weather events, coastal erosion, food insecurity, and the degradation of critical ecosystems such as mangroves and reefs.
He argued that the economic impacts of climate migration in the Dominican Republic are multidimensional. The exodus of young, economically active people reduces the workforce, affecting agricultural production and the local economy. Furthermore, population growth puts pressure on basic services, infrastructure, and labor markets.
The World Bank in 2023 warned that “Without adaptation measures, the expected climate impacts will affect economic activity, poverty reduction, and growth.”, projecting that GDP losses could reach 16,7% by 2050, with poverty increasing by between 0,7 and 1,2 percentage points.
Recent events have had even more significant impacts: Hurricane Fiona in 2022 caused approximately US$454 million in damages, converting RD$25,000 billion at an average exchange rate of RD$55/US$, equivalent to 9,2% of that year's GDP. These losses represent direct infrastructure replacement and production costs, as well as indirect costs due to forced migration and reduced productivity.
In the regional context, a study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF, 2023) found that “Three additional extreme weather events annually over a five-year period can be associated with a 1% increase in outbound international migration in the Caribbean.” "To L"The Dominican Republic means additional pressure on its balance of payments and on the receipt of remittances," Bonilla said.
Challenges of displacement for women and girls
The greatest challenges associated with displacement are the losses and damages those affected experience. As a result, Escribano shared that "when the respondent reported having lost their home due to the impacts of environmental phenomena in the five years prior to data collection, the likelihood of reporting aspirations to migrate in the future increased by 2,54 times."
In turn, she explained that "Women and girls are differentially affected by having fewer mechanisms for accessing resources, land ownership, and income. The tasks traditionally assigned to women and girls, for example, in caring for the home, caring for the elderly and children, and particularly accessing water in rural areas, hinder their ability to adapt and access mobility options."
This comment was seconded by Bonilla. “Women are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and migration. The World Bank in 2024 highlights that “Dominican women, often without formal employment and responsible for household management, have a limited capacity to respond to and recover from climate-related disasters.”".
That is why the Dominican Republic's Gender and Climate Change Action Plan establishes that “Institutions must ensure the adoption of public policies that improve the rights of women and girls to natural resources… so that society can be more resilient.” (PAGCC-RD, 2018).
The event was also attended by representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Ministry of Health, The Dominican Republic Navy, the National Council for Climate Change, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Dominican Haitian Women's Movement (MUDHA).
The forum cycle is part of the project “Climate Change and Forced Displacement: Its Impact on the Lives of Women and Girls”, developed by the Center for Gender Studies of INTEC and sponsored by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC/CRDI), and seeks to generate reflection, dialogue and proposals on one of the most urgent problems of our time.
The next meeting of this cycle will be held on 22th September 2025, with the theme “The vicious circle: poverty, inequality and climate change”.