The Kaldor Centre has today launched a free training kit to empower decision-makers and legal practitioners navigating international protection claims involving climate change and disasters.
Climate displacement is not a just future phenomenon. Each year, millions of people are displaced from their homes because of the impacts of climate change and disasters. While most stay in their own countries, some cross international borders, raising complex legal questions about whether they qualify for refugee status or other forms of international protection.
The new, free training kit provides practical, accessible guidance on how existing legal frameworks apply to these situations. Its video and text resources are grounded in real-world decision-making. Along with ‘train the trainer’ sessions scheduled for June 2026, the self-guided training kit helps cut through the complexity of this rapidly evolving area of law.
Developed by Professor Jane McAdam and Dr Tamara Wood, the training kit builds on International Protection for People Displaced across Borders in the context of Climate Change and Disasters: A Practical Toolkit, a landmark resource released in late 2025 through an international partnership with leading global experts and UNHCR.
‘In some cases, people displaced across borders in the context of climate change and disasters may qualify for for refugee status or complementary protection, but the legal analysis is not always straightforward,’ said Professor McAdam.
‘This training kit is designed to support decision-makers and practitioners to navigate these complexities with clarity and confidence.’
The training kit includes:
The training kit has already been recognised by practitioners. Sharelle Aitchison of the New Zealand Immigration and Protection Tribunal said:
'The training video is another welcome learning tool for decision makers and practitioners, that complements the [Practical Toolkit], dispelling false assumptions about climate change and disasters in the context of international protection and highlights and reinforces living principles.
'The toolkit is admirably well structured and accessible, encouraging active engagement and inquiry. While it has a linear flow, it can simply be dived into, as needed, at any juncture,' Aitchison added.
Dr Tamara Wood said the training kit responds to growing demand for practical guidance.
‘There is increasing recognition that climate change and disasters can interact with existing drivers of displacement in ways that are relevant to international protection,’ Dr Wood said.
'These materials translate legal principles into practical tools that can be used in decision-making processes.'
The training kit forms part of the Kaldor Centre’s Climate Mobility Hub and reflects its ongoing work on displacement in the context of climate change and disasters, including research, legal analysis and policy development undertaken with international partners and affected communities.
Designed primarily for decision-makers and legal practitioners, a new video introduction to the Practical Toolkit shows how these issues are also accessible to a broader audience interested in climate mobility and refugee law.
The training kit forms part of the Kaldor Centre’s Climate Mobility Hub and reflects its ongoing work on displacement in the context of climate change and disasters, including research, legal analysis and policy development undertaken with international partners and affected communities.
Explore all the resources in the new training kit, complementing the Practical Toolkit.
To learn more, visit the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law.