Local perceptions of climate change impacts and migration patterns in Malé, Maldives

Climate change impacts natural and human systems, including migration patterns. But isolating climate change as the driver of migration oversimplifies a complex and multicausal phenomenon. This article brings together the literature on global migration and displacement, environmental migration, vulnerability and precarity, and borders and migration governance to examine the ways in which climate-induced migrants experience precarity in transit. Specifically, it assesses the literature on the ways in which states create or amplify precarity in multiple ways: through the use of categories, by externalizing borders, and through investments in border infrastructures. Overall, the paper suggests that given the shift from governance regimes purportedly based on protection and facilitation to regimes based on security, deterrence, and enforcement, borders are complicit in producing and amplifying the vulnerability of migrants. The phenomenon of climate migration is particularly explicative in demonstrating how these regimes, which categorize individuals based on why they move, are and will continue to be unable to manage future migration flows.

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Addressing Future Fragility: Women, Climate Change and Migration

New Directions in Women, Peace and Security ◽

10.1332/policypress/9781529207743.003.0013 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 207-222

Author(s):

Briana Mawby ◽

Anna Applebaum

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

National Security ◽

International Cooperation ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Global Community ◽

Migration Patterns ◽

The World ◽

And Migration ◽

New Policies ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Climate change and its consequences are among the greatest challenges facing the global community, with the potential to radically alter the structures of communities, states, and international cooperation. Climate change will fundamentally reshape migration patterns around the world; as people choose to migrate to find safety and economic opportunities, their movements will affect how states manage their borders and national security and will strain further the already burdened mechanisms which help guide migration flows locally and internationally. The pressure of climate-related migration in both origin and destination communities requires rethinking international initiatives and national frameworks governing migration and resettlement. When a shock occurs, such as those caused by climate change impacts, it leaves women especially vulnerable and makes migration particularly arduous. Yet women will also be critical to determining the response to such events. In order to understand the potential impacts of climate change-related migration, it is critical to understand women’s roles and experiences. As responsive new policies and approaches are being designed, it is equally critical for women’s perspectives, needs, and expertise to be centered. This chapter provides a discussion of the gendered consequences of climate change, the legal and policy gaps that exist for understanding and addressing gendered climate change-related migration, and the role that future WPS research and analysis can play in highlighting and addressing these issues.

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Climate change relaxes the time constraints for late-born offspring in a long-distance migrant

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2016.1366 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 283 (1839) ◽

pp. 20161366 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Barbara M. Tomotani ◽

Phillip Gienapp ◽

Domien G. M. Beersma ◽

Marcel E. Visser

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Annual Cycle ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Egg Laying ◽

Time Constraints ◽

Long Distance ◽

Hatch Date ◽

Breeding Bird ◽

And Migration

Animals in seasonal environments need to fit their annual-cycle stages, such as moult and migration, in a tight schedule. Climate change affects the phenology of organisms and causes advancements in timing of these annual-cycle stages but not necessarily at the same rates. For migratory birds, this can lead to more severe or more relaxed time constraints in the time from fledging to migration, depending on the relative shifts of the different stages. We tested how a shift in hatch date, which has advanced due to climate change, impacts the organization of the birds' whole annual cycle. We experimentally advanced and delayed the hatch date of pied flycatcher chicks in the field and then measured the timing of their annual-cycle stages in a controlled laboratory environment. Hatch date affected the timing of moult and pre-migratory fattening, but not migration. Early-born birds hence had a longer time to fatten up than late-born ones; the latter reduced their interval between onset of fattening and migration to be able to migrate at the same time as the early-born birds. This difference in time constraints for early- and late-born individuals may explain why early-born offspring have a higher probability to recruit as a breeding bird. Climate change-associated advancements of avian egg-lay dates, which in turn advances hatch dates, can thus reduce the negative fitness consequences of reproducing late, thereby reducing the selection for early egg-laying migratory birds.

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A Critical Analysis of the Drivers of Human Migration Patterns in the Presence of Climate Change: A New Conceptual Model

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17176036 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (17) ◽

pp. 6036

Author(s):

Rebecca Parrish ◽

Tim Colbourn ◽

Paolo Lauriola ◽

Giovanni Leonardi ◽

Shakoor Hajat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Conceptual Model ◽

Human Migration ◽

Migration Patterns ◽

Migration Literature ◽

Quantitative Studies ◽

Time Space ◽

Health Progress ◽

And Migration

Both climate change and migration present key concerns for global health progress. Despite this, a transparent method for identifying and understanding the relationship between climate change, migration and other contextual factors remains a knowledge gap. Existing conceptual models are useful in understanding the complexities of climate migration, but provide varying degrees of applicability to quantitative studies, resulting in non-homogenous transferability of knowledge in this important area. This paper attempts to provide a critical review of climate migration literature, as well as presenting a new conceptual model for the identification of the drivers of migration in the context of climate change. It focuses on the interactions and the dynamics of drivers over time, space and society. Through systematic, pan-disciplinary and homogenous application of theory to different geographical contexts, we aim to improve understanding of the impacts of climate change on migration. A brief case study of Malawi is provided to demonstrate how this global conceptual model can be applied into local contextual scenarios. In doing so, we hope to provide insights that help in the more homogenous applications of conceptual frameworks for this area and more generally.

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Gendered Vulnerability to Climate Change Impacts in Selected Counties in Kenya

African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-42091-8_169-1 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-18

Author(s):

Daniel M. Nzengya ◽

John K. Maguta

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Family Care ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

County Government ◽

Farm Labor ◽

Contributory Factor ◽

Women's Voices ◽

Smart Agriculture ◽

And Migration

AbstractExtreme climate change events such as frequent and prolonged droughts or floods associated with climate change can be very disruptive to peoples’ livelihoods particularly in rural settings, where people rely on the immediate environment for livelihood. Shocks in the people’s livelihoods can trigger diverse responses that include migration as a coping or adaption strategy. Migration takes many forms depending on the context and resources availability. Very few studies in Kenya have used qualitative analysis to bring up women’s voices in relation to gender, climate change, and migration, especially along hydrological gradient. This chapter presents results of qualitative research conducted from 58 participants in 2018 in three counties in Kenya, namely, Kiambu County, Machakos, and Makueni. The study sought to examine gender perceptions related to climate-induced migration, that is: whether climate change is perceived to be affecting women’s livelihood differently from that of men; examine in what ways experiences of climate induced migration differed for men and women; explore perceptions on the county government efforts to cope with climate-induced migration; and examine perceptions of the role of nongovernmental agencies in helping citizens cope with climate change. From the results obtained on ways in which climate change affected women livelihoods more than men had four themes: (1) women exerted more strain in domestic chores, child/family care, and in the farm labor; (2) women also experienced more time demands. The sources of water and firewood were getting more scarce leading to women travel long distances in search to fetch water and firewood; (3) reduced farm yields, hence inadequate food supply; and (4) the effects of time and strain demands on women was a contributory factor to women poor health and domestic conflicts. Several measures that the county government could take to assist women to cope with climate change-induced migration had five themes which include the following: (1) developing climate change mitigations, and reducing deforestation; (2) increasing water harvesting and storage; (3) develop smart agriculture through the use of drought-resistant crops and drought mitigation education; (4) encourage diversification of livelihoods; and finally (5) providing humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable populations such as orphans and the very poor. Thirdly, the measures mentioned that NGO’s could take to assist rural communities to cope with climate change-induced migration did not vary significantly from those mentioned for county government, except probably for a new theme of increasing advocacy for climate adaption policies.

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Climate change and internal migration patterns in Bangladesh: an agent-based model

Environment and Development Economics ◽

10.1017/s1355770x12000290 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 17 (6) ◽

pp. 763-780 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Behrooz Hassani-Mahmooei ◽

Brett W. Parris

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Extreme Weather Events ◽

Agent Based Model ◽

Migration Patterns ◽

Agent Based ◽

Socioeconomic Vulnerability ◽

Weather Events ◽

Internal Migrants ◽

Migration Dynamics

AbstractBangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts such as extreme weather events, due to its low-lying topography, high population density and widespread poverty. In this paper, we report on the development and results of an agent-based model of the migration dynamics that may arise in Bangladesh as a result of climate change. The main modules are each calibrated with data on relevant indicators, such as the incidences of extreme poverty, socioeconomic vulnerability, demography, and historical drought, cyclone and flood patterns. The results suggest likely changes in population densities across Bangladesh due to migration from the drought-prone western districts and areas vulnerable to cyclones and floods in the south, towards northern and eastern districts. The model predicts between 3 and 10 million internal migrants over the next 40 years, depending on the severity of the hazards. Some associated policy considerations are also discussed.

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Gendered Vulnerability to Climate Change Impacts in Selected Counties in Kenya

African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-45106-6_169 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 2045-2062

Author(s):

Daniel M. Nzengya ◽

John Kibe Maguta

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Family Care ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

County Government ◽

Farm Labor ◽

Contributory Factor ◽

Women's Voices ◽

Smart Agriculture ◽

And Migration

AbstractExtreme climate change events such as frequent and prolonged droughts or floods associated with climate change can be very disruptive to peoples’ livelihoods particularly in rural settings, where people rely on the immediate environment for livelihood. Shocks in the people’s livelihoods can trigger diverse responses that include migration as a coping or adaption strategy. Migration takes many forms depending on the context and resources availability. Very few studies in Kenya have used qualitative analysis to bring up women’s voices in relation to gender, climate change, and migration, especially along hydrological gradient. This chapter presents results of qualitative research conducted from 58 participants in 2018 in three counties in Kenya, namely, Kiambu County, Machakos, and Makueni. The study sought to examine gender perceptions related to climate-induced migration, that is: whether climate change is perceived to be affecting women’s livelihood differently from that of men; examine in what ways experiences of climate induced migration differed for men and women; explore perceptions on the county government efforts to cope with climate-induced migration; and examine perceptions of the role of nongovernmental agencies in helping citizens cope with climate change. From the results obtained on ways in which climate change affected women livelihoods more than men had four themes: (1) women exerted more strain in domestic chores, child/family care, and in the farm labor; (2) women also experienced more time demands. The sources of water and firewood were getting more scarce leading to women travel long distances in search to fetch water and firewood; (3) reduced farm yields, hence inadequate food supply; and (4) the effects of time and strain demands on women was a contributory factor to women poor health and domestic conflicts. Several measures that the county government could take to assist women to cope with climate change-induced migration had five themes which include the following: (1) developing climate change mitigations, and reducing deforestation; (2) increasing water harvesting and storage; (3) develop smart agriculture through the use of drought-resistant crops and drought mitigation education; (4) encourage diversification of livelihoods; and finally (5) providing humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable populations such as orphans and the very poor. Thirdly, the measures mentioned that NGO’s could take to assist rural communities to cope with climate change-induced migration did not vary significantly from those mentioned for county government, except probably for a new theme of increasing advocacy for climate adaption policies.

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Political Attention in a Creeping Crisis: The Case of Climate Change and Migration

Understanding the Creeping Crisis ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-70692-0_8 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 131-147

Author(s):

Elin Jakobsson

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Environmental Degradation ◽

Migration Patterns ◽

Natural Catastrophes ◽

Nation States ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

And Migration ◽

Human Displacement

AbstractThis chapter discusses the creeping crisis of rising human displacement induced by environmental degradation and natural catastrophes. Sea-level rise, droughts, and the increased occurrence of hurricanes and floods already have, and increasingly will have, drastic effects on migration patterns. Climate-induced displacement already outnumbers displacement from war or violence. Nation states and the international community have consistently failed to properly address this phenomenon. Only recently has political attention begun to increase. This chapter argues that our understanding of climate-induced migration can be improved with the help of the creeping crisis concept. In addition, climate-induced migration may provide insights to the underlying mechanisms of creeping crises. More to the point, this chapter explores the rise and fall of political attention in this case, offers insights on what lies behind this and reflects upon the broader implications for the literature on creeping crises.

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Migration and Climate Change Impacts on Rural Entrepreneurs in Nigeria: A Gender Perspective

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13168882 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (16) ◽

pp. 8882

Author(s):

Catherine Abiola O. Akinbami

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Family Responsibilities ◽

Gender Perspective ◽

Entrepreneurship Development ◽

Vegetation Zones ◽

And Migration ◽

The Impact

Although the effects of climate change are universal, some groups are more negatively affected than others, which has raised global concerns. The most affected are families involved with agriculture or that use natural resources in rural areas as a means of livelihood. This study aimed to assess the responses of rural dwellers to climate change and migration, determine the extent of climate change as a driver of migration, assess the viability of migration as an option for climate change adaptation, and evaluate the gender perspective of migration and the impact of climate change on entrepreneurial development in rural areas. A qualitative method was employed to solicit responses from respondents in selected rural areas under four different vegetation zones through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Data were analyzed using Atlas.ti. A difference was found in gender reactions to migration due to socio-cultural factors and family responsibilities. In addition, different types of migration patterns were found to exist among men and women. The study also revealed that climate change is a major driver of migration, affects livelihood practices differently in the vegetation zones, and has a negative impact on the entrepreneurship development of the rural areas. Finally, this study provides insights into the effect of migration type on the entrepreneurship development by gender.

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Agricultural adaptation to climate change in the trans-Himalaya: a study of Loba Community of Lo-manthang, Upper Mustang, Nepal

International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology ◽

10.1186/s41257-020-00039-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Man Bahadur Khattri ◽

Rishikesh Pandey

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Farm Labor ◽

Agricultural Practice ◽

Adaptation To Climate Change ◽

Response Strategies ◽

Local Livelihoods ◽

Anthropological Fieldwork ◽

And Migration

AbstractThis paper presents community interference on agricultural ecology against climate change impacts in Lo-manthang, Upper-Mustang, Nepal. The peoples’ response strategies are based on traditional agroecological knowledge. This study applied the human ecological approach (Cause ➔ Effect ➔ Response) to analyze continuity and change in the agricultural practice of the indigenous Loba community of the Trans-Himalaya. Data were generated through anthropological fieldwork using quasi-ethnomethodology. Qualitative data on changing climate was further supported by the analysis of meteorological records of last 40 years from the nearest station. The overall impression of the study is that the Lobas are hardly adapting to the dynamics of socio-environmental factors as climatic, geo-environmental, and politico-institutional changes. The strategy adopted to respond to the impacts of change on the local livelihoods is particularly associated with altering traditional agricultural practices. Indigenous knowledge-based systems of farm, labor, and resource management, accompanied by changes in food preference (food value) and linking agriculture with spiritual practice, are specific adaptation options, further supported by emerging options such as occupational modernization and migration. However, not all of these strategies produced positive outcomes in the local socio-ecological system of Lo-manthang. Therefore, policymakers should recognize Trans-Himalayan environmental uniqueness and its sensitivity to different drivers while designing policy to address them.

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