Climate Displacement Voices Rise at COP30 in Brazil

Natural disasters trigger the displacement of millions of people each year.

Floods, heatwaves, droughts and storms are forcing millions from their homes every year. Most never cross a border; they remain internally displaced yet uprooted all the same. But experts warn that in the not-so-distant future, entire nations could disappear beneath rising seas or become uninhabitable due to drought.

At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) is urging negotiators to make climate mobility a core element of national adaptation plans.

“People and communities who choose to stay must be safe, and those who decide to move must have the option to do so with dignity,” said Ugochi Daniels, IOM’s Deputy Director General, on Thursday.

Across 80 countries, IOM supports projects that place local communities in charge of solutions. Ms. Daniels hopes COP30 will be “a turning point to place human mobility as a key area of climate action,” particularly in national adaptation plans and in financing for loss and damage.

‘Ten seconds that changed my life forever’

For Robert Montinard from Haiti, the debate is deeply personal. The 2010 earthquake lasted only 10 seconds but shattered lives for generations. Seeking safety, he fled to Brazil as a refugee. Today, he leads the Mawon Association, helping others rebuild their lives far from home.

At COP30, Robert stresses one message: refugee voices must be heard.

“We want to be part of the solution. We want migrants and refugees to be heard. Those affected by the consequences of climate change – refugees, Indigenous Peoples, Black communities, women – have the solutions,” he said.

This week, he submitted a proposal to Brazil’s First Lady, Rosângela Janja da Silva, and Environment Minister Marina Silva. It calls for municipal climate councils, action against environmental racism, and community brigades to respond to disasters.

He describes Haiti’s situation as “climate injustice.” The same hurricanes that strike Florida, he noted, cause devastation in his homeland — but while the United States rebuilds quickly, buildings destroyed in Haiti’s 2010 earthquake still lie in ruins.

A crisis feeding conflict in Ethiopia

From another part of the Global South, Makebib Tadesse sees a similar pattern in Ethiopia, where climate pressures are intensifying conflicts over land and resources.

He described a “continuous cycle of violence and displacement” as food and water become scarce. In northern Ethiopia, where he was born, the effects of climate change now rival — or even surpass — the destruction caused by the civil war between 1974 and 1991.

“Climate change is pushing people out of Ethiopia in ways we’ve never seen,” he said.

Both Robert and Makebib are part of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) delegation at COP30, alongside Venezuelan Indigenous leader Gardenia Warao.

‘Brazil’s openness to refugees should be celebrated’

Helping amplify their message is Alfonso Herrera, Mexican actor and Latin America Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR.

“The voices of refugees have been silenced — and they must be heard,” he said.

Mr. Herrera has travelled across the region — from Mexico to Venezuela, Honduras and El Salvador — witnessing the human impact of climate displacement and the UN’s efforts to restore hope through education and legal assistance.

He believes Brazil’s willingness to welcome refugees deserves recognition, especially “when so many other countries take the completely opposite attitude.”

As COP30 debates how to adapt to a changing planet, displaced people remind the world that climate action is not only about protecting ecosystems — it is about protecting lives, preserving dignity, and ensuring no one is left behind by the rising tide.