Practical toolkit on climate and disaster displacement
Climate impacts are arising in international protection claims worldwide. A suite of ground-breaking resources is designed to support decision-makers navigating such claims in practice – around the world and in Australia.
NEW: Australian Toolkit on International Protection in the context of Climate Change and Disasters
International Protection for People Displaced across Borders in the context of Climate Change and Disasters: A Practical Toolkit
NEW: Practical Toolkit training materials to support decision-makers and legal practitioners
About the Practical Toolkit
International Protection for People Displaced across Borders in the context of Climate Change and Disasters: A Practical Toolkit is a first-of-its-kind global resource to help lawyers, judges and other decision-makers navigate international protection claims where climate change or disasters play a role.
Written by scholars with decades of expertise in this burgeoning field, the Practical Toolkit provides a clear, detailed and action-oriented resource. It explains how existing international and regional refugee law and human rights law may apply in cases where the impacts of climate change or disasters are involved. It also sets out five key considerations that should be taken into account in all such claims – which are helpfully summarized in this shorter overview document.
Our free training kit supports understanding and use of the Practical Toolkit. It includes a 12-minute training video, suggested activities for further learning, four hypothetical scenarios, training notes and participant worksheets.
All materials are available in English, French and Spanish.
Watch the video: Introducing the Practical Toolkit
Speed briefing: Jane McAdam, Tamara Wood & Madeline Garlick
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In this 30-minute speed briefing authors, Professor Jane McAdam AO and Dr Tamara Wood (UNSW Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law) along with Dr Madeline Garlick (Chief of the Protection Policy and Legal Advice Section at UNHCR), provide an overview of the Practical Toolkit to guide lawyers and decision-makers faced with refugee and complementary protection claims involving the impacts of climate change or disasters. They explain when, why and how existing refugee and human rights law can protect people forced to leave their homes in situations where climate change or disasters play a role.
NEW: Australian Toolkit
Released in September 2026, the Australian Toolkit on International Protection in the context of Climate Change and Disasters tailors the broad principles articulated in the global Practical Toolkit to Australia’s domestic legal context.
It unpacks seven common myths about climate-related displacement; provides step-by-step guidance on the application of Australian law in protection claims where climate change or disasters play a role; includes detailed case studies based on realistic scenarios; and offers interview questions and country information considerations for practitioners and decision-makers.
'The Practical Toolkit is a valuable resource to help legal practitioners and decision-makers appreciate how existing refugee law and human rights law can provide protection to people at risk in the context of climate change and disasters.’ —UNSW Professor Jane McAdam AO
