Bishkek – on 19 July, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) provided computers and smartphones to the Crisis Management Center under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic. The support will contribute to the improvement of data collection on climate migration and displacement within and outside the country.

The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic has included “environmental migrants” in the Concept of Migration Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic for 2022-2030 and calls on stakeholders to deepen their understanding of the complex interactions between the environment, climate change, and migration dynamics, which, in turn, allows for the development and implementation of effective policies, aimed at mitigating negative consequences of forced environmental migration.

The issue of environmental migration is gaining recognition and importance, as was confirmed during the last conference on global climate change in Paris. While the willingness of the international community to address the negative impact of climate change on forced migration continues to grow, the timeframe to initiate much-needed actions in this area is short. Well-designed actions require a clear understanding of the complex interactions between the environment, climate change, and migration dynamics.

Today, IOM Kyrgyzstan in partnership with the Crisis Management Center under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, the National Statistics Committee, and the Ministry of Labour, Social Security, and Migration, is collecting data in the Osh region, Batken region, and Jalal-Abad region. The collected data will demonstrate the dynamics of internal migration of the population due to environmental reasons.

The generous support was made possible by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration within the Asia Regional Migration Program (RMP) Phase 12.