Congratulations to long-time DS associate Dr. Khaled Hassine on his new book Handling Climate Displacement! Recently published by Cambridge University Press, this excellent book delves into all of the key issues on climate displacement, with a focus on how the Peninsula Principles on Climate Displacement Within States (2013) can play a key role in preventing and resolving this global crisis. This is a valuable book by a truly fine human being and I encourage everyone to read it and share it with your friends, family, colleagues. Not a bad cover photo, too.....  ...

On 11 March 2017, a group of 54 families moved in the newly built town of Gramalote, Colombia some seven years after the decimation of the town as a consequence of the La Niña phenomena. They are part of the nearly 3,300 climate displaced people who were affected by the massive mudslide that destroyed their community in December 2010. Other families will continue moving throughout 2017 as their houses and other public buildings such as the school and hospital are finalized. It is expected that the 1,000 new houses will all be completed by March 2018. Despite challenges during the reconstruction process, especially during the initial stages, the outcomes so far are very encouraging. In many ways, Colombia is setting a positive example of how to deal fairly and equitably with effects of climate displacement and resultant planned relocation. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the government of Colombia rightfully committed itself to rebuilding the entire town and ensuring that those affected would receive new homes for the homes they lost. Seven years later, it appears that the government is admirably keeping its promise.  We hope governments everywhere will do the same and engage directly in preventing, repairing and resolving…...

A report just issued by the United Nations Human Rights Council gives extensive and positive coverage to the Peninsula Principles on Climate Displacement Within States. The report, prepared by UN human rights expert of the Advisory Committee to the Human Rights Council, Mr. Imeru Tamrat Yigezu of Ethiopia, describes the 2013 Principles as providing "a solid foundation for the protection of the specific needs of those internally displaced by climate change in line with a human-rights based approach and are consistent with international human rights standards and humanitarian law". The 12 August 2016 report (UN doc: A/HRC/AC/17/2) makes clear the human rights dimensions of climate displacement and specifically recommends that the Council implement two key recommendations: 1. That the Advisory Committee undertake to prepare guidelines (‘soft guidelines’) on climate displacement and human rights, based on existing frameworks such as the Guiding Principles on IDPs and the Peninsula Principles on Climate Displacement within States, which are grounded in the existing international framework. 2.  Alternatively, that the Advisory Committee could prepare a report on the question of a human rights-based planned relocation to cases of looming climate displacement. It is hoped the Human Rights Council will accept Tamrat's recommendations, and that attention to the…...

A new DS report released today explores the effects of climate change and rising sea levels on one of Australia most vulnerable communities. The 47-page report - An Analysis and Recommendations on Applying the Peninsula Principles on Climate Displacement Within States to Current and Future Climate Displacement in Australia's Torres Strait Islands - examines how the Peninsula Principles could be used to guide local and national law and policy to ensure that the rights of Torres Strait Islanders are fully ensured in the context of ever worsening climate change effects there. The report offers a series of specific conclusions and recommendations on how to improve the prospects of one of Australia's most vulnerable coastal communities. The full report is available here: Torres Strait Islands and Climate Displacement...