The relationship between environmental degradation and migration is important, complex, yet little understood. Further research and investigation of desertification as both a cause and a consequence of displacement and cross-border migrations should thus be pursued through programmes facilitating the exchange of technical and scientific data and the constant monitoring of the process.

Such programmes should encourage comparative studies between affected regions with different cultural and economic constraints, establish and historical perspective and foster environmental education and training initiatives in affected areas, with a view towards developing successful models.

Research on desertification-induced population movements should seed to disaggregate primary factors motivating migration, should quantify and analyse size, geographic origin, frequency of displacement, gender and age data and patterns of resource use in arid land.

Surveys of dryland ecosystems should investigate the correlation between desertification, poverty and migration and become part of an early-warning system for humanitarian crises in the making.

Prospective analyses of existing or future conflict potential should include a careful assessment of the differences between temporary flight and permanent migration; and between internally displaced persons, crossboundary and transcontinental migrations.

Research should be translated into policy-oriented training and dissemination programmes that bring into focus adapted technologies and biotechnologies meeting long-term ecological and climatological constraints and other priority matters.
Faithful to the concept of a global environment, and aware of the crucial interactions between socio-economic factors and major environmental problems the participants of the International Symposium of Almeria are convinced that the challenge of desertification must be addressed in a comprehensive manner, taking also into account the complex issue of environmentally related migrations.

The Symposium believes that fundamental to the issue of desertification and migration is the fact that many people with to be able to have the freedom to stay at home, on their land, in their own culture. This is particularly the case to provide the family with stability. The Symposium believes that the corollary of the recognized right of freedom of movements is the right to remain.

The Symposium recommends that the negotiation process of the Convention to Combat Desertification give greater attention to the phenomenon of desertification-induced migration, at the local, regional and global levels.

Finally, the participants of the Almeria Symposium noted with pleasure that Spain, being itself affected by desertification and owing to its geographic location and cultural links with many affected countries in the world: is offering to contribute concretely to a more effective fight against desertification within the framework of the Convention.