People may be compelled to move by sudden disasters, or by slow onset ones. The majority of disasters occur in fragile contexts, where environmental and natural resource degradation often fuel existing or latent conflict and where the impacts of hazards are more severe and long lasting for the most vulnerable. Disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) measures can reduce the impact of both natural and human-caused hazards on human populations, thereby reducing displacement risk or mitigating the impacts of displacement when it does occur.
Enhancing livelihoods is a key way of increasing the resilience of vulnerable communities facing environmental challenges, and is often an important part of climate change adaptation, typically (albeit not exclusively) in rural areas. Measures might include introducing crop varieties adapted to local conditions, promoting sustainable income diversification, or providing relevant skills training.
Disaster preparedness measures can help to ensure that when displacement does occur, it is less likely to result in situations of acute vulnerability for those who have been displaced. Key elements of disaster preparedness include early warning systems (EWS), evacuation plans and stockpiling (strategic preplacement of emergency supplies). Furthermore, there are many ways to help ensure humanitarian responses provide effective assistance to displaced populations. Further details on prevention and preparedness, humanitarian response and durable solutions to displacement can be found in Prevention, preparedness and reducing risks.