Country to play larger role in protecting displaced people from climate change

The United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, is anticipating an expanded role for China in assisting forcibly displaced communities to enhance resilience and navigate climate threats, given the escalating impact of the global climate crisis on these groups, said the agency's chief Filippo Grandi.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily, he especially highlighted the UNHCR's expectation of enhancing cooperation with China's private sector, as it strives to strengthen the availability of sustainable energy for the most vulnerable.

"Right across the world, UNHCR witnesses the impact of a changing climate every day. We see it affecting the lives of the most vulnerable people we work with, including refugees and other displaced communities, as well as on those who host them, and many of my colleagues experience it for themselves," said Grandi.

Of the more than 120 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, three-quarters live in countries heavily impacted by climate change, he said. That means 90 million people who have already fled harrowing situations of conflict and persecution are now exposed to new threats, often without much support to withstand or adapt to them.

Quoting a recent report from the UNHCR that explores the intricate links between climate change, he stressed that "an already difficult situation is only going to get worse".

By 2040, the number of countries facing extreme climate-related hazards is expected to rise from three to 65, the vast majority of which host forcibly displaced people, he said. Similarly, most refugee settlements and camps are projected to experience twice as many days of dangerous heat by 2050.

The climate emergency represents a deep injustice. People were forced to flee, and the communities hosting them, which are the least responsible for carbon emissions, yet are paying the highest price, said Grandi.

The climate crisis manifests itself in so many ways. It is also a food crisis, a water crisis, a shelter crisis, a survival crisis and, in many cases, a human rights crisis, those on the front lines of it are disproportionally affected, he added.

"Worse, they are also being overlooked and left to navigate the growing challenges with very limited support."

States that are hosting the majority of forcibly displaced people and facing the harshest impacts of climate change tend to receive less climate financing, he noted. Currently, only 10 percent of climate finance makes it to fragile and conflict-affected countries, and when it reaches them, it rarely leaves the capital, leaving rural areas without this crucial support.

Solutions are at hand, but we need urgent action. Without proper resources and support, those affected will be trapped, he said.

"First and foremost, we need to ensure that the resources needed to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change reach these communities, which often live in conflict-affected and fragile settings.

"We must also ensure that displaced communities are part of climate policy decisions — their voices and experiences are critical to designing effective solutions as they know best how and where to allocate the resources, and what actions are most needed to protect their communities from climate disasters," he stressed.

Grandi continued by sharing his expectations on the role of China in addressing challenges in these endeavors.

"China itself is well aware of the many challenges posed by climate change, both now and in the future. So we see a greater need for China to apply its strengths, expertise, innovations and resources to a multilateral response — joining what has to be a global approach to a global threat," he said.

China can certainly help displaced communities build resilience and adapt to climate dangers, he continued.

Grandi said that there has already been progress in the agency's cooperation with China's private sector. At the COP28 UN climate change conference in the United Arab Emirates late last year, the UNHCR partnered with LONGi, a leading Chinese solar company, on a project to make sustainable energy accessible for everyone, especially the most vulnerable.

Over the past year, in cooperation with the company, the UNHCR has solarized its regional logistics hub in Uzbekistan. The energy savings generated, which help strengthen local infrastructure, are significant and will enable reinvestment into additional sustainable initiatives, according to Grandi.

"It is an example of the kind of collaboration with the private sector that UNHCR is seeking to broaden and deepen, and in this case it also demonstrates our long-term commitment to both innovation and sustainability," he said.