Climate Migrations and Environmental Justice

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Climate Migrations and Environmental Justice: Intersecting Stories Between the Global South and Catalonia

Summary of Action

The climate crisis is one of the main drivers of human displacement: desertification, rising sea levels, extreme meteorological phenomena, and loss of livelihoods force millions of people to migrate. In 2024 alone, 45.8 million new internal displacements due to disasters were recorded, the highest figure ever recorded. To this extent, the link between climate change and migration continues to be disconnected by a large part of European and Catalan citizens, exposed to simplistic discourses.

The project proposes the production of three first-person audiovisual capsules and a short documentary that explain stories of climate migration from three territories—Colombia, Senegal, and Italy—in dialogue with the six diasporas in Catalonia. Each capsule will collect the testimony of a person who has migrated and of another who has decided to stay, establishing an exchange of perspectives that shows the two aspects of a shared reality: what it means to leave and what it means to stay.

This approach not only aims to arouse empathy by putting the voice of the protagonists at the center but also to show the role of Catalonia in these processes: a territory that welcomes migrant communities, a space where bonds are maintained, and a place from which global and local responsibilities for the climate crisis can also be questioned.

The voice of the protagonists guides the story in an intimate and everyday tone, far from victimizing or paternalistic visions. A central element of the action is the collaboration with local journalists and communicators in the countries of origin. Their involvement guarantees knowledge of the context, plurality of perspectives, and legitimacy, and avoids “parachuting” journalism. At the same time, it ensures a return to the territories of origin, with projections and materials adapted to languages and community channels.

The project is completed with the development and dissemination of pedagogical materials and training workshops aimed at young people and future professionals in communication and cooperation, carried out in educational centers, universities, and civic centers. The activities encourage critical analysis and link academic research with transformative communication, placing first-person stories as learning and debate tools.

The multi-channel dissemination includes allied media such as Social.cat, Revista Late, La Directa, and Público, social networks of the promoting entities (more than 55,000 accumulated followers), communication and human rights festivals (Transhumant and BCN-DH), and educational and university centers (URV-CEDAT, Cinema en Curs, and several educational centers). This strategy allows reaching young audiences, less involved groups, women, gender dissidents, and voices from the Global South, promoting a more informed and co-responsible European citizenship in the construction of an inclusive, egalitarian, and sustainable world.

Sustainable Development Goals

This project supports the following SDGs:

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