migration and climate change: an overview
Abstract
Climate change has become a major concern for theinternational community. Among its consequences, its impact onmigration is the object of increasing attention from both policymakersand researchers. Yet, knowledge in this fi eld remains limitedand fragmented. This paper therefore provides an overview of theclimate change – migration nexus: on the basis of available empiricalfi ndings, it investigates the key issues at stake, including the social andpolitical context in which the topic emerged; states’ policy responsesand the views of different institutional actors; critical perspectiveson the actual relationship between the environment and (forced)migration; the concepts and notions most adequate to address thisrelationship; gender and human rights implications; as well asinternational law and policy orientations. Two major interconnectedarguments arise. The fi rst regards the weight of environmental andclimatic factors in migration and their relationship to other pushor pull factors, whether of social, political or economic nature. Thesecond is about the political framework in which such migrationfl ows should take place and the manner in which to treat the peoplewho move in connection with environmental factors. The two issuesare deeply intertwined, as the extent to which the environmentdetermines migration is intimately connected to the status to beassociated with the people concerned.Downloads
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