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New global treaty must address disaster displacement: Kaldor Centre Policy Brief

Published on the 21 May 2025
"Guardianes del Mangle" (Guardians of the Mangrove) is a community-led group from the Pescador 1 and 2 neighborhoods in Turbo, Colombia, composed of 18 members, including individuals displaced by armed conflict and artisanal fishermen. The group is dedicated to the conservation and restoration of local mangrove ecosystems. Their mission is to protect the environment by planting mangroves, promoting the recovery of biodiversity, and raising awareness about the importance of maintaining a healthy relationship with nature. Additionally, they regularly organize cleaning activities as part of their environmental restoration efforts. These activities include conducting community clean-up days to remove solid waste from the mangrove areas, which helps improve water flow, reduce pollution, and create a healthier ecosystem. Through their work, Guardianes del Mangle aims to improve coastal resilience, safeguard local wildlife, and strengthen the community's resilience to environmental hazards. The mangroves, which offer crucial environmental protection, are severely threatened by climate change and have been degraded due to the mismatch between the expanding population and inadequate waste management systems. This degradation has led to negative health impacts for residents and limited livelihood opportunities. Therefore, there is an urgent need for solutions to support the integration and independence of displaced communities. UNHCR Colombia is partnering with Pescador 1 and 2 communities through the Guardians of the Mangle, to develop and test new strategies for mangrove restoration, helping to create green economic opportunities and provide a safe environment for displaced and host communities. ; Through the UNHCR Innovation Fund, UNHCR supports the Guardianes del Mangle initiative , working closely with local organizations and community members to address the needs of displaced families and provide technical support to implement this initiative.
Image credit:ÌýUNHCR Marina Calderon

In 2027, governments are expected to adopt the world’s first-ever global treaty on the Protection of Persons in the event of Disasters — a landmark step toward strengthening international responses in a time of intensifying climate risks.

Climate change is fuelling more frequent and severe disasters — from floods and fires to rising seas and heatwaves. These events are devastating communities and, increasingly, displacing people from their homes. In fact, nearly every second, someone is displaced by the impacts of a disaster.

This is why it’s so important that the treaty recognises the risks of displacement — and safeguards the rights of displaced people. Our latest Policy Brief explains how.

Foregrounding Displacement and Evacuations in the Proposed Treaty on the Protection of Persons in the event of Disasters is co-authored by Scientia Professor Jane McAdam AO, Director of the Kaldor Centre’s Evacuations Research Hub, and Dr Thomas Mulder, Laureate Postdoctoral Fellow at the Hub.

The recommendations are practical and precise: small changes that would make a big, lasting difference for people displaced when disaster strikes.

With governments invited to submit amendments before the end of 2025, this is a crucial window for action.

The Kaldor Centre is helping shape international law to better protect people at the sharpest edge of disasters and climate change. Our timely, technical insights are designed to support this ambitious timeline — and to ensure that displacement is not left in the shadows.

Read and share the policy brief, Foregrounding Displacement and Evacuations in the Proposed Treaty on the Protection of Persons in the event of Disasters.Ìý

Ìýwith Professor McAdam and Dr Mulder – or listen onÌýÌý²¹²Ô»åÌý.

For more, visit theÌýKaldor Centre for International Refugee Law.

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The policy brief was developed as part of the Kaldor Centre’s new Evacuations Research Hub, a five-year project established in July 2024 and funded by a prestigious Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship. Scientia Professor of Law and Laureate Fellow Jane McAdam AO is the Director of the Evacuations Research Hub, and Dr Mulder is a Laureate Postdoctoral Fellow. The Hub’s research program analyses why and how evacuations are used; what legal standards govern their conduct; and when and how they come to an end.