Reaching Refugees with Climate Adaptation and Disaster Response: What Multilateral Development Banks Can Do

Much of the current discussion around weather events and displacement focuses on initial forced movement because of sudden disasters or slow-onset weather variations.After working for years in both development and humanitarian organizations to help refugees integrate into their countries of refuge, I have observed the rising threat of secondary displacement or economic devastation by weather events in their new communities.Since most refugees live in developing countries, 1 and most developing countries look to multilateral development banks to finance their climate-related programs, banks' policies can play an important role in reducing this threat.As the world pursues the joint goals of protection and solutions for refugees, 2 reaching refugees with climate response and planning can help ensure disasters do not undermine their progress toward self-reliance.Doing so not only respects rights, but it also avoids leaving large and vulnerable population groups behind in recovery.Multilateral development banks can apply accepted development principles and non-discrimination policies to ensure refugees, who are often among the most disadvantaged populations in a developing country, can access needed climate adaptation and response programs.Doing so would not preference nor discriminate against them, but rather would allow them to adapt and recover in the same way as nationals. Where Refugee Inclusion Stands in Climate Finance NowMultilateral development banks have set high targets for climate-related spending in the coming years.The World Bank has pledged 45 percent of its annual financing to climate-related projects by June 2025. 3 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) set a strategy for 75 percent of its total number of operations to support climate change mitigation and adaptation by 2030. 4 And by 2030, the Inter-American Development Bank aims to reach 50 percent in "green and climate finance," including mobilized private capital, with the goal to amplify climate action. 5 Meanwhile, almost half of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's (EBRD) * UNHCR Senior Development Advisor, Washington, D.C., United States.The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in the content of this essay are those of the author and do not