International Research Conference on Climate-Induced Migration in Eastern Africa underway in Jigjiga City, Somali Region

JIGJIGA – December 09, 2025 (HoAREC&N-AAU) – An International Research Conference themed “Climate-Induced Migration in the Horn of Africa: Evidence, Policy, and Collaboration Action” is currently being undertaken in the capital of the Somali Region, Jigjiga. The Conference that convened over 120 people from various governmental and non-governmental organizations and member countries of the Horn of Africa Regional Environment Center and Network at Addis Ababa University (HoAREC&N-AAU), Ethiopia, Kenya Djibouti, South Sudan, Somalia, Rwanda and Burundi, was organized by HoAREC&N at AAU in collaboration with Jigjiga University (JU) under the MECMEA Project. MECMEA is funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented through the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and MMD Grant Facility.

The Guest of Honor, Dr Hussien Kassim, head of the Somali Regional State President Office, in his opening remark, said that the Somali Region would highlight the importance of such international conference, which help facilitate ways to address environmental problems, which is common in the Horn of Africa. Dr. Hussien underscored that the problem needs collective action.

Vice president of the Jigjiga University, Dr. Mussa Mohammed also said in his welcoming address that “Climate-induced migration is no longer a distant concern;it is a lived reality for millions of families in pastoral, agro-pastoral, rural and urban settings throughout our region”. The vice president highlighted that Eastern Africa stands at the frontline of climate impacts-recurrent droughts, devastating floods, shifting livelihoods, conflicts and environmental degradation are increasingly influencing how communities live, move, and adapt.Dr. Mussa expressed hope that the conference would help the participants explore the dynamics through rigorous research, lived experience, interdisciplinary dialogue and collaborative action.

Prof Mekuria Argaw, Executive Director of HoAREC&N-AAU said that his organization would do its level best to strengthen its effort in addressing the challenges people in the Horn of Africa are facing.

He said that “For over two decades my organization, the Horn of Africa regional Environment Center and Network at Addis Ababa University (HoAREC&N-AAU) together with its regional members and actors has been implementing several projects designed particularly to address the impacts of climate change in the region and keep to maintain environmental governance and enhance ecosystem restoration to build resilient communities and stand the impacts of climate change,” prof. Mekuria said.

Deputy Head of the Somali Regional State, Disaster Risk Management Bureau, Mr Bashir Hussien Elmi said in his welcome note that the Horn of Africa is experiencing climate extremes at an unprecedented pace.

Droughts, floods, and shifting seasons have already displaced millions, altered pastoral mobility routes, and placed extraordinary pressure on governance systems, natural resources, and social cohesion.Climate-induced migration is no longer an emergency phenomenon—it is a structural reality that demands long‑term, evidence‑driven action. Mr. Bashir said that as the problem is common in the Horn of Africa, Somali Region is one of the areas that fall victims. “Over the years the entire communities have lost livestock, farmland, and livelihoods; many of which have been forced into displacement,” he stated.

He further indicated that the conference is vital platform for connecting evidence, policy, and practical actions. Mr. Bashir underscored that addressing climate‑induced migration requires collective responsibility. No government, university, or organization can manage this challenge alone. We must build stronger cross‑border coordination, develop shared research systems, and invest in community‑centered resilience pathways across the region.

This conference, in which international guests are discussing the climate-induced migration in the Horn of Africa, based on selected papers presented by researchers, was financed by the European Union. (HoAREC&N-AAU)

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