Facing involuntary immobility: Prioritizing the marginalized in climate and disaster risk policy

Globally, populations are increasingly located in areas at high risk of frequent, extreme weather events. Some exposed populations have the ability to move to safer places; others are unable to get out of harm’s way. The climate risks facing these involuntary immobile populations are not often addressed by local and national authorities, despite increasing recognition by international development agencies and humanitarian actors. Here we discuss when and how climate and extreme weather events lead to involuntary immobility by considering the influence of political, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. Addressing barriers in policy and disaster planning, early warning systems and anticipatory action could be tailored to support involuntarily immobile communities. While policy and planning should be data-informed, lack of appropriate data quality should not limit governments and institutions from taking action. Immobility needs to be aligned with the broader sustainable development objectives which entail climate justice and orderly migration.