Pierre OZER

Associate professor, University of Liège

Pierre Ozer has a PhD in geographical sciences (University of Liège). He has worked for various institutions such as the Università degli Studi di Genova (Italy), the University of Luxembourg and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO, Rome). Its many projects have introduced him to various parts of the world, from Latin America to Asia through Africa where he currently concentrates much of his research. In 2009 he was elected full member of the Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences, Brussels. He led the Belgian scientific delegation to the United Nations international negotiations to combat desertification (UNCCD COP-9). Dr. Ozer's main research interests include natural risk and disaster management, the impacts of environmental changes on migration and adaptation strategies to climate change. In 2016, Pierre Ozer launched the specialized Master degree in risk and disaster management and became the scientific coordinator of the Hugo Observatory. He is the author of six books and over 300 scientific and 'public' publications in those fields.

> Environmental change, forced displacement and immobility

All over the world, people react to environmental degradation in many different ways. It has long been recognized, however, that changes to the environment, including climate change, can induce significant population movements, either as a direct consequence of these changes or because of the impacts that environmental changes have on other drivers of migration, such as poverty, food security or access to land and water. This presentation is based on several case studies showing the diversity of forced migration processes in different developing countries after sudden climate shocks (such as drought) or slow onset environmental degradation (such as land degradation or shoreline erosion). It also underlines that while some people can afford to move, others are trapped population forced to immobility. Since climate and environmental changes will very likely become a key driver of migration in the coming decades, this talk will show that local case studies can be generalized, highlighting the concepts of maladaptation and inhabitability.