Climate change, displacement and social Cohesion: Understanding relationships between IDPs and host communities in Cabo Delgado and Manica, Mozambique

As the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) increases due to escalating armed conflicts, climate change – including sudden onset events like floods and storms and slow onset events like droughts, desertification and sea-level rise – further worsens this trend. Sudden and slow onset events not only act as significant causes of displacement but also change the experiences of the IDPs, affect the realities of host communities, as well as shape how IDPs and their host interact in displacement-affected areas. Yet these latter dynamics are largely understudied; filling this knowledge gap is crucial for building a constructive link among humanitarian response, climate change adaptation, development, and peacebuilding. In 2025, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) commissioned a study of two affected provinces to provide initial insights into the impacts of climate-related events on the relations between host and displaced communities, and to better align response strategies in contexts where displacement from armed conflict coincides with climate change risks and impacts. The study aligns with IOM’s Global Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus approach by generating evidence on the interlinkages between climate change, displacement, social cohesion and peace to inform more coherent programming.