The UK welcomes the publication by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner and recognises the connection between climate change and migration in the Sahel; a region where the temperature is rising 1.5 times faster than the global average. There are more than 5 million internally displaced people in the region, with many seeking refuge in neighbouring countries due to the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation which is being exacerbated by climate change and environmental degradation. At COP27 in November 2022, the Foreign Secretary confirmed the UK will provide £200 million to the African Development Bank's Climate Action Window to help vulnerable countries, including those in the Sahel, adapt to the impacts of climate change. This funding comes in addition to the £19.5 million pledged by the UK at COP26 which is supporting communities in the region to cope with climate shocks.

Climate change is an increasingly significant factor in driving migration and displacement. However, decisions to migrate are rarely mono-causal; climate change interacts with and can exacerbate other drivers of migration. On that basis we do not use a single fixed definition of climate-related migration or displacement. The UK Government makes use of data from a range of sources to understand the relationship between climate change and migration. This has included commissioning a 'Rapid evidence assessment on the impacts of climate change on migration patterns', which has been made publicly available at https://www.gov.uk/research-for-development-outputs/rapid-evidence-assessment-on-the-impacts-of-climate-change-on-migration-patterns