Topic: Mobility as Climate Change Adaptation in South Africa: Exploring the legal and policy significance of Artificial Intelligence.

TEMITOPE AYOMIKUN OBISANYA , ADEMOLA OLUBORODE JEGEDE

The increasing reality of mobility linked to adverse impacts of climate change highlights an urgent need for nuanced and systematic research around climate mobility. While mobility is often used as a coping or adaptation strategy to escape climate impact, some mobility typifies and results in maladaptation. Protecting populations in vulnerable situations usually raises issues that test the limits of law and policy on mobility as an adaptation to climate change. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used to improve life and livelihood but has downsides. South Africa has a fair share of mobility associated with extreme climate change events. Still, the extent to which AI applies in the context of climate mobility and adaptation is undeveloped. It is even less so examined whether AI may aid or hinder the protection of populations relocated-as an adaptive measure in response to adverse consequences of climate change in South Africa. Consequently, this paper explores the intersection of human mobility, climate adaptation, and AI in South Africa, focusing on key provisions of existing legal and policy instruments that may be leveraged to address issues involved in protecting populations experiencing climate change-induced displacement. In doing so, it assesses AI's potential role in the IDPs' planned relocation, for example, using AI tools for needs assessment, resource allocation, protection services, or infrastructure planning. It also proposes that with AI policies and laws, mitigation against maladaptation and effective adaptation to climate change impact can be attainable in South Africa.