48 As conflicts rage and persecution intensifies worldwide, another threat is emerging – one that pays no heed to borders. Climate change and its catastrophic impacts are adding to the vulnerabilities faced by the world's forcibly displaced people, estimated at over 103 million refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Few populations are as exposed to increasing climate risks as these men, women, and children forced from their homes. Often relegated to liminal existences in camps and informal settlements, with limited rights and negligible economic opportunities, they are susceptible to environmental shocks like drought, flooding, cyclones, and ecological degradation caused by the changing climate. However, traditional humanitarian assistance and disaster risk management systems tasked with responding to climate-related crises frequently overlook or deprioritise displaced populations. These populations fall through the cracks as the focus remains fixed on assisting affected citizens. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is determined to address this stark reality through an innovative new partnership with ARC Ltd. that is aimed at helping protect refugees and other displaced populations from the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. “Our mission at UNHCR is to protect refugees and internally displaced people. However, remote locations can often leave these vulnerable populations overlooked in times of crisis. This is why collaboration with organisations like ARC Ltd. is so crucial. ARC’s focus on building resilience in African nations perfectly aligns with UNHCR’s goals,” says Mojisola Terry, Strategic Risk Advisor and Climate Insurance Lead at UNHCR. “This partnership with ARC Ltd. allows the UNHCR to leverage their expertise in innovative climate risk insurance and financing to protect forcibly displaced populations in a way that has never been done before,” she says. “By participating in ARC's Replica programme, we can replicate government-level climate risk management policies to extend coverage to refugees and internally displaced people who are often left out of these systems.” The UNHCR identified three key factors that made ARC Ltd. an ideal partner for addressing these challenges: its ability to promote the inclusion of refugees in national policies, its technical expertise in areas like risk modelling and climate data analysis, and its access to novel climate financing mechanisms. “ARC Ltd. has leverage and influence over African governments, which can help advocate for the inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers as many countries become more closed and nationalistic,” states Terry. “They also bring technical expertise that we lack, like risk modelling, satellite data, and contingency planning." PARTNER I NTERV I EW: UNHCR A groundbreaking partnership to protect refugees from climate risks Mojisola Terry Strategic Risk Advisor and Climate Insurance Lead at UNHCR PARTNER INTERVIEW: UNHCR
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