This policy brief and short movie on Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change show the implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Eastern Caribbean and seek to better understand the nexus between COVID-19, climate change/hurricane season and human mobility in this region.

The region is currently faced with a dilemma: On the one hand, it is struggling with the management of the COVID-19 pandemic which has necessitated extended State of Emergency periods with established curfews and other measures to encourage people to stay home, practice social distancing and move as little as possible. Also, borders are largely closed, hence, the Free Movement of People Regime in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) region is restricted due to COVID-19. These situations imply that people cannot move freely within the region and internal movements are also restricted. On the other hand, the OECS region is expecting an above-average active hurricane season which, based on past experience, might require people to move within their countries or across borders as a result of hurricanes or other climate-related events. These two different crises demand contrasting kinds of action: remaining versus moving. This creates a challenge which is discussed in this policy brief. Evidence was gathered through primary (survey and semi-structured interviews) and secondary (literature review) data collection.

With support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), through its Global Programme “Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change” (GP HMCCC), the OECS Commission sought to explore the implications for human mobility in the event of a hurricane impacting OECS Member States during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Download the policy brief here and watch the movie here.

We hope you enjoy these new two resources, and look forward to your comments and feedback!