Managing Displacement Amid Climate Extremes: Lessons from Cyclone Idai, Mozambique

Tropical Cyclone Idai, which struck in March 2019, is one of the most catastrophic climate-related disasters in Southern Africa’s history, particularly affecting Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. Across these countries, the cyclone caused widespread economic, environmental, and infrastructural destruction, rapid displacements, and fatalities. Displaced people encountered disproportionate disaster impacts, underscoring the need to mitigate displacement risks as climate risks intensify. This paper examines the displacement impacts of Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, focusing on short-term, long-term, cross-border, and displacement management dynamics. The analysis draws on literature from peer-reviewed studies, humanitarian agencies, government reports, and policy documents. Findings show that displacements were largely internal post-Cyclone Idai, although some cross-border displacements occurred. Displacement management was challenged by weak disaster preparedness, reactive disaster response and resettlements, fragmented internal and cross-border disaster coordination, shaped by deep-seated structural and non-structural vulnerabilities. These challenges impeded disaster recovery and heightened future displacement risks. As climate risks rise, extreme weather disasters like Cyclone Idai will become more frequent, necessitating effective displacement management. This should be underpinned by improved early warning systems, disaster preparedness, coordination, and the mobilization of resources at national and regional levels. Sustainable solutions for climate-related displacements also require coherent national and regional policy frameworks on displacement that integrate disaster risk reduction into urban development, land-use planning, and climate-resilient livelihoods. The paper provides insights for building resilience against climate-related disaster impacts, particularly displacement in Mozambique and the Southern African region.