OIM - Multi - country Case Study on the Opportunities and Challenges of Engaging Diasporas in Climate Action

Multi-country Case Study on the Opportunities and Challenges of Engaging Diasporas in Climate Action International Organization for Migration 17 route des Morillons, P.O. Box 17, 1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland T el.: +41 22 717 9111 • Fax: +41 22 798 6150

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Email: hq@iom.int Website: www.iom.int Cover photo: Portraits of four D4C Diaspora Climate Champions. The photos were taken during a project workshop in May 2024 in London. © IOM 2024/Paul CHOY Required citation: International Organization for Migration (IOM) (2024). Multi-country Case Study on the Opportunities and Challenges of Engaging Diasporas in Climate Action. IOM, Geneva. _____________________________

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ISBN 978-92-9268-975-9 (PDF)

© IOM 2024 Some rights reserved. This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO). For further specifications please see the Copyright and T erms of Use. This publication should not be used, published or redistributed for purposes primarily intended for or directed towards commercial advantage or monetary compensation, with the exception of educational purposes e.g. to be included in textbooks.

Permissions: Requests for commercial use or further rights and licensing should be submitted to publications@iom.int. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/legalcode PUB2024/023/ELMulti-country Case Study on the Opportunities and Challenges of Engaging Diasporas in Climate ActionACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank Benjamin Schraven and Stephen Adaawen for authoring this report.

We would also like to express our gratitude to Jan Voordouw, in Jamaica; Roufa Khanum and Shumayta Marzia, at the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Researc h (C3ER), BRAC University, in Bangladesh; as well as MaryJane Enchill, Samuel Dotse and Margaret Badasu, all from Ghana, whose inputs were valuable in preparing this report. IOM United Kingdom extends its appreciation to the Governments of Bangladesh, Ghana and Jamaica and their diasporas in the United Kingdom for their active contributions to the study. Special thanks are also due to IOM Bangladesh, IOM Ghana and IOM Jamaica, for their assistance during the process, and to Soumyadeep Banerjee, at the IOM Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, for his guidance throughout. Finally, we would like to thank IOM United Kingdom colleagues, namely Martina Castiglioni and Alexia Scarlett, for their leadership and coordination of this study, and Shuvashish Thapa, for his valuable support a nd review.CONTENTS

guidance throughout. Finally, we would like to thank IOM United Kingdom colleagues, namely Martina Castiglioni and Alexia Scarlett, for their leadership and coordination of this study, and Shuvashish Thapa, for his valuable support a nd review.CONTENTS Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii List of tables, figures and boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Executive summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi 1 . Intr oduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.1. Background ............................................................... 1 1.2. Scope and objectives of the multi-country case studies ........................... 3 2 . Background on the case study countries and diasporas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.1. Bangladesh ................................................................ 6 2.2. Ghana .................................................................... 7 2.3. Jamaica ................................................................... 9

2 . Background on the case study countries and diasporas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.1. Bangladesh ................................................................ 6 2.2. Ghana .................................................................... 7 2.3. Jamaica ................................................................... 9 3 . Research design and approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 3.1. Identification and sampling of study participants ................................ 11 3.2. Field data collection ....................................................... 12 3.3. Data analysis and general characteristics of study participants ..................... 14 3.4. Limitations of this study .................................................... 16 4 . Findings: United Kingdom-based diaspora case study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 4.1. Awareness of current affairs in the countries of heritage and general cont ributions of the diasporas ........................................................... 18 4.2. Trust and relationships with the governments of the countries of heritage ........... 21 4.3. Perceptions of climate change, environmental degradation and related disasters in countries of heritage ..................................................... 24 4.4. Climate action in countries of heritage: regulatory fra meworks .................... 27 4.5. Diaspora engagement in climate action in the countries of heritage ................ 29 4.6. Perceived challenges to climate action in countries of heritage and potential ways forward towards more effective engagement in climate action ..................... 33vi CONTENTS 5 . Findings from the diaspora countries of heritage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 5.1. Bangladesh ............................................................... 36 5.2. Ghana ................................................................... 42 5.3. Jamaica .................................................................. 50 6 . Conclusions and recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

5.2. Ghana ................................................................... 42 5.3. Jamaica .................................................................. 50 6 . Conclusions and recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 6.1. General findings ........................................................... 56 6.2. Considerations ........................................................... 58 6.3. Recommendations ......................................................... 59 Annex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62vii

MULTI-COUNTRY CASE STUDY ON THE OPPORTUNITIES AND

CHALLENGES OF ENGAGING DIASPORAS IN CLIMATE ACTION LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES AND BOXES Table 1. Overview of research methodologies applied in the project .................... 11 Table 2. Selected characteristics of the online diaspora survey respondents .............. 15 Figure 1. Degree of trust in selected institutions in countries of heritage  ................. 22 Figure 2. Awareness or familiarity with existing national policies, programmes and initiatives on climate action ............................................ 28 Figure 3. Climate and environmental action-related areas of active engagement ............ 30 Figure 4. Cooperation partners that should be more involved in climate action-related activities in the countries of heritage ........................................ 33 Figure 5. Progress at implementing commitments to address climate change .............. 47 Box 1. Examples of diaspora engagement .......................................... 57 Box 2. A good example from the United States: the International diaspora Engagement Alliance ..................................................... 60ACRONYMS CBO community-based organization CCA climate change adaptation CSO civil society organization

Box 1. Examples of diaspora engagement .......................................... 57 Box 2. A good example from the United States: the International diaspora Engagement Alliance ..................................................... 60ACRONYMS CBO community-based organization CCA climate change adaptation CSO civil society organization DRR disaster risk reduction ESG environmental, social and governance FGD focus group discussion KII key informant interview NDCs Nationally Determined Contributions NGO non-governmental organization NSC national steering committee ONS Office for National Statistics (of the United Kingdom) SDG(s) Sustainable Development Goal(s) SNV Stichting Nederlandse Vrijwilligers (Dutch; English: Netherlands Development Organisation, formerly, “Foundation of Netherlands Volunteers”) UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeEXECUTIVE SUMMARY The growing impacts of climate change on people and the planet highlight the urgent need for climate action involving the whole of society. Although diasporas contribute to development and disaster response worldwide, their potential to contribute to climate action remains largely untapped. Diasporas possess transnational networks, knowledge of both countries of heritage (or ancestry) 1 and countries of destination, and domain expertise that can be leveraged to accelerate global climate action. However, few programmes integrate diasporas into climate policies. In this regard, the IOM project, “Diaspora 4 Climate Action” (D4C), aims to leverage connections between diaspora communities and their countries of heritage to strengthen climate action in vulnerable countries. This study focused on Bangladesh, Ghana and Jamaica, and their respective United Kingdom-based diasporas. It examined these diasporas’ awareness of climate change and climate action measures in their respective countries of heritage. The study also explored the opportunities, pathways and mechanisms to enhance the contributions of these diasporas to climate action, especially in their respective countries of heritage. Using a mixed-methods approach in both the United Kingdom and the countries of heritage, this exploratory study provides a realistic picture of these different diasporas and their potential for climate action. Although diasporas are heterogeneous groups with varying abilities to contribute to climate

respective countries of heritage. Using a mixed-methods approach in both the United Kingdom and the countries of heritage, this exploratory study provides a realistic picture of these different diasporas and their potential for climate action. Although diasporas are heterogeneous groups with varying abilities to contribute to climate action in heritage countries, this study found many similarities among the three diaspora groups. Members of all three diaspora communities were concerned about the adverse impacts of climate change in their countries of heritage and were motivated to engage in climate action. Study participants also expressed concerns about climate change-related hazards affecting family members in their respective countries of heritage – hazards that lead to food insecurity, loss of livelihood, property damage, and health and energy insecurity in all three countries. The findings further revealed that there were already some initiatives in climate action-related diaspora engagement in these countries of heritage. 1 In this report, “country of heritage (or ancestry)” is used synonymously with “country of origin”.xii ExECUTIVE SUMMARY Diaspora members partner with community-based organizations, households, local authorities and charities. All three United Kingdom-based diasporas maintain close relationships with their respective countries of heritage, mainly through remittances. These remittances support health care, education, food, economic activities and housing. Some diaspora members are also involved in skills exchange, philanthropy and investments, driven by social and/or religious obligations and a sense of family honor and/or patriotism. However, there is limited familiarity with climate action policies and plans in the countries of heritage among all three diaspora communities. Nevertheless, the diasporas recommend the effective implementation of climate policies into practice. Overall, the findings indicate that diasporas can play an important role in accelerating global efforts in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Fully harnessing diaspora contributions, however, requires the systematic integration of diasporas into climate action policy and programming. There is also a need to clearly communicate climate action needs and priorities in countries of heritage, and to increase the visibility and recognition of diaspora contributions to climate action. The following recommendations for the different stakeholders are therefore f ormulated:

requires the systematic integration of diasporas into climate action policy and programming. There is also a need to clearly communicate climate action needs and priorities in countries of heritage, and to increase the visibility and recognition of diaspora contributions to climate action. The following recommendations for the different stakeholders are therefore f ormulated: (a) The governments of the countries of heritage should integrate diasporas as key partners in climate action and sustainability efforts, in collaboration with local institutions. They should create online platforms and regularly update them with calls for experts, as well as invitations to webinars and events to harness diasporas’ financial and intellectual capital. The governments of countries of heritage should also engage in dialogues with the United Kingdom (and other destination countries) to establish regular migration pathways and/or skilled labour programmes focusing on relevant skill gaps, and to promote diaspora contributions on relevant media platforms. (b) The Government of the United Kingdom and international organizations/ development partners should improve relations with migrant-sending countries by launching matching-grant schemes, decreasing remittance transfer costs, promoting temporary return and/or establishing diaspora advisory boards for policy consultations. Furthermore, the national governments of countries of heritage should engage with diasporas by mapping diaspora communities and hosting consultation sessions to better understand their needs and willingness to contribute. (c) Diasporas should mobilize within their own ranks. Diaspora organizations could support their members in finding peers with similar interests in climate action, formalizing this group, and building concrete, scalable and sustainable action plans to address climate action priorities in their countries of heritage. They could also support climate action groups in sharing their engagement, interests and passion for climate action through strategic messaging and branding, and in identifying and partnering with credible development actors.1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background Ongoing changes in global climate and ecological systems are expected to have adverse implications for countries and their efforts towards sustainable development (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2022). This is in view of the fact that a significant share of populations, livelihood systems and national economies around the world are largely dependent on rain-fed

Ongoing changes in global climate and ecological systems are expected to have adverse implications for countries and their efforts towards sustainable development (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2022). This is in view of the fact that a significant share of populations, livelihood systems and national economies around the world are largely dependent on rain-fed agriculture and natural capital. With ongoing climate change and the associated increase in extreme weather events, the impacts are already manifesting in almost every region across the globe (Arias et al., 2021; Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 2023). As a result, there are increasing concerns that the compounding impacts of climate change and the degradation of the natural resource base could pose challenges to human security, well-being and inclusive growth in the foreseeable future (Adger and Hodbod, 2014; Pörtner et al., 2021). At the same time, the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on national economies and social safety nets has further exacerbated existing socioeconomic vulnerabilities across countries (World Bank, 2022b). This means that climate change, coupled with other shocks, will continue to pose veritable risks, as well as undermining human security, especially in vulnerable parts of the world (Adger et al., 2014; Vivekananda, 2022). Nevertheless, global efforts at enhancing sustainability, resilience and inclusive growth have translated into climate action 2 by way of increasing commitments and frameworks at the international, regional and national levels (UNFCCC, 2015; UNDP, 2021). These efforts have contributed to the formulation and ongoing implementation of several policies and strategies to promote CCA and DRR, as well as the transition to green(er) economies as a pathway to building back better and resilient societies for the future (United Nations, 2012). Besides the call to climate action as part of the SDGs – in particular, SDG 13 (on climate action) – and the commitments that were made as part of UNFCCC T wenty-first Conference of the Parties in Paris (2015), global efforts at climate change mitigation and adaptation and land degradation neutrality are reflected

action as part of the SDGs – in particular, SDG 13 (on climate action) – and the commitments that were made as part of UNFCCC T wenty-first Conference of the Parties in Paris (2015), global efforts at climate change mitigation and adaptation and land degradation neutrality are reflected 2 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 describes climate action as urgent actions taken to combat climate change and its associated impacts. This includes efforts at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-induced impacts, including: climate-related hazards in all countries; integrating climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning; and improving education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity with respect to climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning (United Nations, 2015).2 INTRODUCTION in SDGs 7, 10, 15 and 17 (United Nations, 2015). At the regional and national levels, the NDCs and National Adaptation Programme of Action processes, as well as national climate change, DRR, green transition and migration policies, have all been targeted at addressing climate change and related impacts (IOM, 2018a; UNDP, 2021). Furthermore, the link between climate change, environmental degradation and human mobility and its implications for human security have gained traction in both policy and scientific circles (Ionesco et al., 2017; Clement et al., 2021). An important aspect that has featured in ongoing scientific and political debates on environmental migration in recent years relates to the question of migration as an adaptation strategy (Schraven et al., 2021). In addition, forums such as the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) and the Task Force on Displacement of the Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage, under the UNFCCC, were formed to coordinate and support global, regional and national policy initiatives (The Nansen Initiative, 2017; UNFCCC, 2018). These initiatives and actions have mostly sought to address the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on human mobility. Besides the ongoing scientific and political debates on the interactions between migration

were formed to coordinate and support global, regional and national policy initiatives (The Nansen Initiative, 2017; UNFCCC, 2018). These initiatives and actions have mostly sought to address the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on human mobility. Besides the ongoing scientific and political debates on the interactions between migration and development, the potential of well-managed migration to contribute to green growth or climate-resilient development has also increasingly become the focus of policy initiatives (Adaawen, 2022; Schraven, 2023). However, it is still unclear in what ways the potential of diasporas, as agents of development, could be leveraged to contribute to ongoing CCA efforts and the shift to greater sustainability in both home and destination countries. While the term “diaspora” has been defined differently by scholars and policymakers (see Cohen, 2023), this multi-country case study adopts the working definition from the IOM Glossary on Migration: Migrants or descendants of migrants whose identity and sense of belonging, either real or symbolic, have been shaped by their migration experience and background [and who] maintain links with their homelands, and to each other, based on a shared sense of history, identity, or mutual experiences in the destination country (IOM, 2019:49). Recent discussions on leveraging the development potential of diasporas have mainly focused on their role in contributing to the green transition, economic development, skills transfer and promoting regular migration pathways between home and destination countries (Gençsü et al., 2020; Mason et al., 2022). The potential of diasporas to contribute to climate action remains largely untapped by national governments and other stakeholders in countries of heritage (Salia et al., 2022; Taylor et al., 2023). Moreover, there is a lack of awareness regarding the willingness and capacity of diasporas to support climate action in countries of heritage. A better understanding of the mechanisms that can be used to enable diasporas to support climate action in their countries of heritage more effectively would make a significant contribution to strengthening climate change

capacity of diasporas to support climate action in countries of heritage. A better understanding of the mechanisms that can be used to enable diasporas to support climate action in their countries of heritage more effectively would make a significant contribution to strengthening climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, DRR and resilience in these countries.3 MULTI-COUNTRY CASE STUDY ON THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF ENGAGING DIASPORAS IN CLIMATE ACTION 1.2. Scope and objectives of the multi-country case studies Globally, approaches to harnessing diaspora support have mostly focused on issues of economic and social development in both countries of heritage and destination (Bahar, 2020; Jones et al., 2023). In the face of growing commitments to climate action as part of international frameworks and sustainable development agendas (UNDP, 2021), the contribution of diasporas has generally remained at the margins of climate change mitigation and adaptation programming (Mason et al., 2022). More importantly, their intangible capabilities, especially their knowledge, and peer networks are underutilized (Levitt, 1998; Lacroix et al., 2016; Tuccio and Wahba, 2020). Thus, the potential of diasporas to contribute to climate action remains largely untapped by national governments and other actors in both countries of heritage and destination. Moreover, there is a lack of awareness of the willingness and capacity of diasporas to support climate action and ongoing efforts at environmental sustainability. It is against this background that this study is conducted, as part of the project, “Diaspora for Climate Action (D4C): Leveraging the Potential of Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change through Diaspora Engagement in Bangladesh, Ghana, Jamaica and the Republic of Moldova”, implemented under the auspices of IOM United Kingdom, in partnership with IOM country offices in Bangladesh, Ghana, Jamaica and the Republic of Moldova, and with funding from the IOM Development Fund. The goal of this project is to directly contribute to national climate change agendas and initiatives in Bangladesh, Ghana, Jamaica and the Republic of Moldova,3

country offices in Bangladesh, Ghana, Jamaica and the Republic of Moldova, and with funding from the IOM Development Fund. The goal of this project is to directly contribute to national climate change agendas and initiatives in Bangladesh, Ghana, Jamaica and the Republic of Moldova,3 thereby also contributing to the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the SDGs (specifically Goals 7.a, 10.2, 10.7, 13.1, 17.3 a nd 17.16). T o this end, this multi-country case study extensively engaged both United Kingdom-based Bangladeshi, Ghanaian and Jamaican diaspora communities and relevant stakeholders and actors in both the United Kingdom and the countries of heritage. It assessed and identified the opportunities and challenges to leveraging the potential of diasporas in contributing to climate action in their respective countries of heritage and in the United Kingdom. T o allow for balanced perspectives, the multi-country case study adopted a gender-sensitive approach and, as such, solicited gendered perspectives from study participants, including youth. In line with the overarching objective, this specific case study for the United Kingdom-based diaspora were guided by the following three main research questions: (a) What is the level of the diasporas’ awareness of national priorities in relation to climate action in their respective countries of heritage? (b) In what ways are the diaspora communities involved in CCA and DRR planning and ongoing efforts to promote long-term resilience and sustainability in the countries of heritage? (c) What pathways and mechanisms could be developed at the national and local levels to engage the diasporas in CCA, DRR and sustainability to enhance long-term resilience and adaptation in the countries of heritage? 3 The Republic of Moldova joined D4C only in February 2024 (see, for example, IOM, 2024), by which point the case study-related activities had already been conducted. As such, the Republic of Moldova, as a heritage country, and the United Kingdom, as a destination country for the Moldovan diaspora, could not be included in the study.4 INTRODUCTION

been conducted. As such, the Republic of Moldova, as a heritage country, and the United Kingdom, as a destination country for the Moldovan diaspora, could not be included in the study.4 INTRODUCTION In applying a gender lens to probing the issues of focus, special attention was paid to identifying opportunities and challenges to harnessing the capacities of the diasporas in managing climate change impacts in countries of heritage. The extensive engagement with country-specific diasporas in the United Kingdom and the relevant government agencies and national stakeholders helped to identify priority areas of entry, as well as challenges and avenues to leverage their potential in supporting climate action in the respective countries of heritage and ongoing global efforts to promote greater sustainability.2. BACKGROUND ON THE CASE STUDY COUNTRIES AND DIASPORAS Following the Second World War, the United Kingdom had evolved to become one of the world’s major immigration countries (d’Aiglepierre et al., 2020; Fransen and de Haas, 2022). Main countries of heritage of immigrants coming to the United Kingdom included Ireland and the then newly independent countries and former British colonies such as Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa (Vargas-Silva and Rienzo, 2022). However, immigration to the United Kingdom was not limited to only people from former British colonies. After the United Kingdom joined the European Union in 1983, migration from other European Union countries to the United Kingdom increased over t he years. In the early phase of the Cold War, many people migrated from Warsaw Pact countries, such as Hungary and Poland, to the United Kingdom. Migration from other European Union countries to the United Kingdom also increased over the years after it joined the European Economic Community in 1973 and the su