--- title: "IOM: Climate change could force up to 40.5M people in South Asia from their homes by 2050" description: "According to IOM estimates, climate change could force up to 40.5 million people in South Asia from their homes by 2050. Organization Director General Amy Pope called for active measures and technology." date: 2026-10-16T19:39:33.197Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/iom-climate-migration-south-asia-40-5m tags: [climate-change, migration, south-asia, iom, floods] author: "Roman V." publisher: "XAB.info" --- # IOM: Climate change could force up to 40.5M people in South Asia from their homes by 2050 ![A man walks through a street flooded by massive catastrophic floods in South Asia](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/16/mom-klimaticheskaya-migraciya-yuzhnaya-aziya-40-5-mln/mom-klimaticheskaya-migraciya-yuzhnaya-aziya-40-5-mln-1.webp) ## Key Points - IOM forecasts that in the worst case, up to 40.5 million people in South Asia could be forced to leave their homes due to climate change by 2050. - On August 26, 2026, mountain and glacier collapses in Nepal caused flash floods; media reports indicate over 2,000 deaths and more than 20 million left homeless. - IOM Director General Amy Pope urged governments to use AI and big data for early warning and reducing displacement risks. - IOM believes migration can be turned into a development tool by creating legal and safe employment pathways. On October 16, during a visit to India, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General Amy Pope stated in an interview that climate change directly threatens the livelihoods of South Asia's population and forces millions of people to relocate. According to her, proactive government responses and the deployment of technologies will be decisive factors in mitigating these impacts. The statement came against the background of ongoing consequences from massive floods that hit the region in August 2026. ### IOM Forecast: Up to 40.5 Million Displaced by 2050 According to IOM projections, under a worst-case scenario, up to 40.5 million people in South Asia could be forced to leave their homes by 2050 due to sea level rise, floods, and droughts capable of submerging agricultural land. The organization emphasizes that when people lose the ability to produce food and raise livestock, migration becomes their primary adaptation strategy. In India, Ms. Pope noted, extreme heat is further accelerating urbanization as the population massively moves to cities to escape harsh weather conditions. ### August Floods as a Trigger A direct illustration of these risks was the events of August 26, 2026, when mountain and glacier collapses in Nepal caused devastating flash floods affecting the northern areas of the region. According to international media, the death toll from the catastrophic floods in South Asia exceeded two thousand people, with more than 20 million left homeless; a significant part of Bangladesh was submerged, northern states of India were flooded, and casualties were also reported in China and Vietnam. Hundreds of foreign tourists were reportedly missing in the flood zone. Acute shortages of food and drinking water, as well as disease outbreaks in cities like Dhaka, have made the humanitarian situation extremely tense. ### Funding Shortfall and Reliance on Technology The IOM Director General pointed out that despite escalating destructive natural disasters, the world still lacks promptness in protecting vulnerable groups, and contingency funding remains severely limited. In South Asia, high population density and limited resources further exacerbate the risks. Ms. Pope noted that the costs of overcoming the humanitarian disaster amount to billions of dollars, while investments in resilience-building measures are significantly lower. To reverse this disparity, she stated, governments must utilize artificial intelligence and big data: by combining weather forecasts with information on local livelihoods, technologies make it possible to accurately identify populations most at risk of displacement and intervene early—by improving agricultural methods, retraining people for new professions, or relocating them at an early stage. ### Migration as a Tool for Development Despite the scale of challenges, the IOM chief expressed optimism regarding South Asia, particularly regarding technological investments and early warning systems in several countries, including India. At the same time, she emphasized that the issue requires coordinated action by the international community. Ms. Pope also pointed out that migration can be transformed into a development tool: provided that legal and safe employment pathways are created, it allows generating income while addressing global labor shortages, all while protecting the workers themselves. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Десятки миллионов человек в Южной Азии находятся под угрозой перемещения из-за изменения климата.](https://www.vietnam.vn/ru/hang-chuc-trieu-nguoi-nam-a-co-nguy-co-phai-di-doi-do-bien-doi-khi-hau) - Primary source: statements by Amy Pope (IOM) on 16.10.2026, forecast of 40.5M by 2050, event on 26.08 in Nepal, role of AI and big data, migration as a tool for development. - [От Бангладеш до Пакистана. Крупные наводнения в Южной Азии в XXI веке](https://tass.ru/info/28047299) - Confirms the flood on 26.08.2026 in the northern region; according to TASS, at least 384 foreign tourists went missing in the flood zone. - [Катастрофическое наводнение в Южной Азии не идет на спад](https://www.svoboda.org/a/406446.html) - Casualties exceeded 2,000 people, over 20M homeless; northern states of India flooded, half of Bangladesh territory under water, victims in China (5M) and Vietnam; shortage of food and water. ## FAQ ### How many people does IOM project as potentially displaced in South Asia by 2050? According to IOM projections, under a worst-case scenario, up to 40.5 million people in South Asia could be forced to leave their homes due to sea level rise, floods, and droughts. ### What happened on August 26, 2026, in South Asia? Mountain and glacier collapses in Nepal caused devastating flash floods. According to media reports, the death toll exceeded two thousand people, and over 20 million were left homeless. ### What measures does IOM propose to reduce risks? IOM Director General Amy Pope urged governments to use artificial intelligence and big data for early warning, and to create legal and safe employment pathways, turning migration into a development tool.