The state of planning, policy, and justice for human mobility in national adaptation plans

Abstract

Climate change has been widely observed to shape various dimensions of human mobility. Policy responses associated with everything from the short-term management of displaced persons to the long-term resettlement of communities are recognized to represent challenges for policymakers and planners in the Global South and North. This article evaluates the extent to which aspects of human mobility have been formally incorporated into the National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) of fifty-seven (n = 57) countries. Although human mobility has been increasingly referenced in formal UNFCCC processes and communications, there is a limited understanding of detailed planning, policymaking, and implementation actions. The findings of this article suggest that conflicts centered on (i) institutional resources, (ii) land use planning, and (iii) property rights are inherent and unrecognized in many policy frameworks within existing NAPs. This article concludes with a perspective on the value of addressing these conflicts in order to advance elements of planetary justice.