Caribbean media and stakeholders urged to amplify cross-border evacuation protocols ahead of hurricane season

With just a little under three months before the official start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) must take urgent action to prepare for climate-related displacement and migration. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and partners are calling on media and stakeholders to share the Cross-Border Evacuation Protocol and Best Practices cards available on its Trello [board 1 & board 2] to enhance preparedness and response efforts.

The Caribbean faces increasing threats from hurricanes, floods, coastal erosion, rising sea levels, and prolonged droughts. These environmental shocks not only disrupt economies but also exacerbate socio-economic vulnerabilities, leading to internal and cross-border displacement. As SIDS work to enhance their disaster response mechanisms, it is essential to mainstream human mobility and human security into national climate and disaster risk reduction policies and planning.

This call to action aligns with the upcoming regional workshop, Mainstreaming Human Mobility and Human Security in Caribbean Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction Policies: Progress and Way Forward, to be held in Saint Kitts and Nevis on 25-26 March 2025. This workshop will bring together government officials, policymakers, and regional stakeholders to strengthen the integration of human mobility considerations into National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategies.

Why the Cross-Border Evacuation Protocols Matter? 

The Cross-Border Evacuation Protocol and Best Practices Cards provide essential guidance for Caribbean nations to manage migration and displacement effectively in the face of climate-induced disasters. By ensuring that communities, policymakers, and responders are equipped with standardized protocols, SIDS can improve national and regional coordination, protect displaced populations, and build resilience.

Key Workshop Objectives 

The workshop, organized by IOM with funding from the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) and the French-funded project on Environmental Migration and Disaster Displacement, will focus on:

• Assessing progress in incorporating human mobility into Caribbean climate policies.

• Training stakeholders in the application of the Environmental Migration, Disaster Displacement, and Human Security Policy Assessment Tool.

• Identifying policy gaps and opportunities to enhance disaster and climate mobility strategies.

• Sharing best practices to ensure the dignity, safety, and livelihoods of displaced populations.

• Strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships for regional collaboration.

• Discussing climate finance mechanisms to address funding gaps for displacement, migration, and planned relocation.

Call to Action 

Media and stakeholders are urged to share and amplify the Cross-Border Evacuation Protocol and Best Practices Cards from Trello across platforms, ensuring that the Caribbean community is well-prepared for the upcoming hurricane season. By integrating human mobility considerations through the human security approach into climate and disaster risk reduction policies, we can collectively strengthen the region’s resilience and disaster response.

For more information about the workshop and how to access the Cross-Border Evacuation Protocol and Best Practices, please visit https://www.iom.int/countries/dominica where the complete protocol reports live.