Recognizing and protecting climate mobility in Africa: Toward resilience based on rights and local practices

Climate-induced mobility in Africa is increasing as environmental disruptions intensify, exposing the growing vulnerability of communities and the inadequacy of existing legal frameworks. Neither international refugee law nor regional instruments fully address these movements, leaving a persistent normative gap often compounded by political risks. Yet, local practices, including seasonal mobility, customary land adjustments, and agroecological practices, reflect adaptive capacities largely overlooked by public policies. This article explores the tensions between legal invisibility and community dynamics, drawing on African human rights law, the Kampala Convention, recent jurisprudential developments, and field studies in the DRC, Uganda, and Burundi. It underscores the need to embed these strategies within governance and financing mechanisms, transforming mobility into a driver of resilience rather than a source of exclusion.