Forum for Social Studies ( FSS) and its research partners, the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), and University of Ghana organized a two-day International Conference under the theme of: Governing Climate Mobility: Nexus between Climate Change and Mobility on February 22 -23, 2023 at Elilly Hotel, Addis Ababa.
Following a brief welcoming speech by FSS Executive Director, Dr. Yeraswork Admassie, the conference started with an Opening Speech by Dr Getahun Garedew, Director General, Ethiopian Environment Protection Authority (EEPA), and a brief remark on the Governing Climate Mobility (GCM) Research Program.
During the two-days national conference, the results of 10 researches conducted under the Governing Climate Mobility (GCM) projects implemented in Ethiopia by FSS, DIIS, as well as in Ghana, by the University of Ghana, were presented.
Moreover, six other researches on topics revolving around the main theme were also presented. Each presentation was followed by a discussion session during which, questions, comments and views were forwarded by attending participants.
Around 50 invited participants drawn from various sectors including government offices, CSOs, higher learning institutions, researchers form Addis Ababa University, University of Ghana, and DIIS.
Launched in 2019, both GCM projects in Ethiopia and Ghana are being coordinated by the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) and implemented in collaboration among DIIS (Denmark), FSS (Ethiopia) and the Centre for Migration Studies (CMS), University of Ghana with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark through the Consultative Research Committee for Development.
GCM is a 4-years research program that investigates the role of governance contexts and interventions in shaping climate-related mobility. This may include various forms of migration, forced mobility, resettlement and forced immobility.
The GCM-Ethiopia is jointly coordinated by Ato Desalegn Rahmatto, a senior research fellow at FSS and Dr Zerihun Mohammed, a senior researcher, who now heads the Good Governance Africa-East Africa (GGEA), as Executive Director.
Dubbed ‘a novel approach linking research on governance, climate change and mobility’, the theme of the program aims to examine how governance contexts influence mobility options and decisions in areas affected by climate change.
The following are among the 16 research papers presented during the two-days national conference randomly selected to give a highlight.
- “Khat production and climate change in Tehuledere, South Wollo by Dessalegn Rahmato
- “Porous Categorical Boundaries: The expansion of the human trafficking discourse and its application to migrant women in Ethiopia’ by Ninna Sørensen;
- “Why Money Matters: Finance, land and Climate Change Related Mobilitity” by Neil Webster and Adane Alemayehu;
- “Irrigation and migration in the drylands: Exploring the politics of in-situ adaptation in northern Ghana, by Lily Lindegaard & Francis Jurawura
- “Climate, ‘Pastoral Wars’ and Displacement along Ethio-Kenya Borderlands”, by Fana Gebresenbet (PhD), Mercy Fekadu and Yonas Tariku;
- “Short Distance Domestic Migration as an Adaptation Strategy to Impacts of Climate Change: The Case of Shashemene District”, by Zrihun Mohhamed (PhD);
- “Local Government Management of Climate Change Adaptation Finance in Northern Highland, Tanzania”, by Beatrice Sumari ;
- “Governing adaptation finance: Policy, politics and power dynamics in access and utilization of adaptation finance in Turkana County, Kenya”, by Millicent Omala