Tenders are invited for Consultant (Migration, Environment & Climate Resilience) Closing Date: 7 Apr 2026 Type: Consultancy Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to government and migrants. IOM is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment. Read more about diversity and inclusion at IOM at Diversity and Inclusion at IOM | International Organization for Migration. Internal and external candidates are eligible to apply to this vacancy. For the purpose of the vacancy, internal candidates are considered as first-tier candidates. Project Context and Scope: Climate change is one of the fundamental challenges for sustainable development in the 21st century and is likely to have significant impacts on Sri Lanka1. Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall patterns, floods, prolonged dry spells and droughts, storms, intense lightning and cyclones, together with land degradation and human-wildlife conflicts, are some of the main impacts that climate and environmental change are having on communities across the country. These climate-related hazards magnify the risks and uncertainties of human life and livelihoods, jeopardizing the living standards, livelihoods, and well-being (material, social, and cognitive) of people across the country. The impacts on marginalized communities are particularly acute, especially for those living in climate-vulnerable zones and who rely upon nature-based livelihoods such as farming and fishing. In addition, daily paid jobs and self-employment are also directly and indirectly affected due to climate shocks due to reduced coping capacities and increased vulnerability. Amidst a myriad of coping strategies, human mobility is accelerating within vulnerable households as a climate change adaptation strategy. Human mobility often stems from the pursuit of better livelihood opportunities and a desire for a safer environment with improved living conditions. Such movements are driven by the interactions between various socioeconomic, cultural and environmental elements. Some drivers may force people from their places of origin by creating or exacerbating vulnerabilities, risks, and loss of livelihoods and belongings caused by the adverse effects of climate change. Others may pull people towards new destinations offering opportunities for better livelihoods, safer environments, decent settlements, greater education access and improved hygiene and sanitation. Consequently, marginalized and vulnerable groups, such as youth, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, often migrate, either permanently or temporarily, following other household members. Human mobility linked to climate change, disasters and environmental degradation takes place in multiple forms, including migration, displacement, and planned relocation, amongst other forms of mobility and immobility. In Sri Lanka, human mobility linked to disasters, environmental degradation and climate change (either migration, displacement, or planned relocation) is determined by multiple interacting factors; distance (short vs long); territory (internal vs external); movement path (urban-rural, rural-urban, rural-rural, urban-urban); duration (temporary vs permanent); routine (one time vs seasonal); choice (forced vs voluntary); opportunities (work, livelihoods, education, amenities), social networking (formal vs informal); decision making (self-motivated vs community induced); compatibility; nature of the impact (sudden onset- short term vs slow onset long term). Human mobility also depends on peoples vulnerabilities and aspirations, perceived opportunities, and social connections. Displacement and migration can happen either permanently or temporarily within a country or across administrative borders. Although displacement is mostly a direct impact of climate-related disasters, other forms of migration are also influenced by social, political, economic, demographic, and environmental drivers (anyone or many of which can cause migration). Thus, human mobility in the context of climate-related events is a multi-dimensional issue. With the right conditions in place, migration can be a powerful tool for climate adaptation. It can diversify income sources, create new livelihood opportunities, and enhance peoples knowledge and skills. For example, planned evacuation as a disaster management strategy has significantly reduced the risk of deaths, here in Sri Lanka and overseas. Furthermore, state-led, community driven planned relocation initiatives in landslide-prone areas in the central hills of the country have proven necessary steps towards mitigating disaster risks and anticipatory actions for disaster risk reduction. However, such mobilities can also produce negative outcomes, including increased trauma, loneliness, heavy workload, conflict, loss of social cohesion, loss of identity, loss of socioeconomic and cultural ties, stress of the new environment, burden on health, hygiene, and sanitation, loss of routine lifestyle. Ultimately, these negative impacts affect the material, relational, and subjective aspects of the wellbeing. In this context, this desk review will provide a foundation for understanding, through academic and grey literature, the gender dimensions of climate mobility in Sri Lanka. Additionally, it will assess what kind of responses exist at local and national levels through local interventions and policy responses, while considering also the gaps and needs on gender and climate mobility. Tentative research questions are: What gendered impact pathways2 emerge when existing evidence (including the National Assessment) is re-analysed through an intersectional lens (e.g., care burdens, GBV risks, shifts in decision-making, left-behind stressors)? How do gender roles shape mobility decisions, mobility types (seasonal, temporary, displacement, relocation), and experiences across key livelihood systems (farming, fisheries, informal labour)? What gendered vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities exist among: left- behind women, children, elderly; female- headed households; differently abled individuals; youth? Which gendered impacts have the strongest implications for programming (e.g., care burdens, GBV risks, loss of income, education disruptions, stress on left-behind women), and what groups are most affected? How and where can national policies, DRR frameworks, climate change adaptation strategies, and social protection schemes be practically adjusted to better address gendermobility linkages? What are the most feasible, context-specific opportunities for gender-responsive programming and interventions at community, district, and national levels? How and where can future research better incorporate the genderclimate mobility nexus? The desk review will consolidate and critically analyse available evidence, identify thematic and methodological data and policy gaps, and recommend priority areas of interventions to be strengthened to better include gender-sensitivity in research, local interventions and policy processes. The findings will contribute to further studies, national policy processes, inform policy coherence efforts, and support the development of a gender-responsive climate mobility framework aligned with national and regional approaches. This consultancy is part of a sub-regional project Comprehensive Approach to Climate Mobility in South Asia, implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), funded by the European Union. A Comprehensive Approach to Climate Mobility in South Asia is a three-year sub-regional initiative designed to strengthen how climate-related migration and displacement are governed across seven countries in the region. The project focuses on advancing coherent, evidence-based and forward-looking national and regional frameworks that can guide governments as they respond to the growing impacts of climate and environmental change on human mobility. Scope of the Assignment / Core Functions & Responsibilities: A comprehensive desk review, responding to the agreed research questions, of available academic and grey literature, research papers, assessments, evaluations, policy documents and institutional reports relating to gender and climate mobility. The consultant will build explicitly on findings from the 2023 National Assessment, avoiding duplication of descriptive content covered in that study. Map the existing evidence base, building explicitly on the Assessment on Linkages Between Climate Change and Migration in Sri Lanka and related major studies to extract and reframe gender-relevant insights for programming and policy development, and avoiding duplication of descriptive content covered therein. Analyse gendered dimensions of climate mobility, including key gendered impact pathways that explain how social norms, roles, labour responsibilities and power dynamics shape differentiated outcomes for women, men, boys, girls and marginalized gender groups. Assess methodological approaches used to examine gender dimensions of climate mobility, including the quality of sex, age and disability-disaggregated data, use of intersectional methods, and representation of marginalized and at-risk groups. Identify key knowledge gaps in understanding the genderclimate mobility nexus, with attention to gaps not fully covered in previous assessments, including geographic gaps, thematic gaps, data limitations, and policypractice disconnects. Assess the extent to which national disaster and climate-related policies, institutional frameworks and programmes incorporate gender dimensions of climate mobility, Tender Link : https://reliefweb.int/job/4205358/consultant-migration-environment-climate-resilience
