A Fresh Attempt at Understanding Climate Change and Migration
Although the relationship between environmental change and migration has been researched extensively, no answers to many key questions exist. The European research project, Each-FOR (Environmental Change and Forced Migration Scenarios), was launched two years ago to address this unfortunate situation. The initial results of a total of 22 case studies were presented at a three-day conference held in Bonn in early October.
"The link between environmental change and human security becomes immediately apparent when one looks at the issue of migration," stated Konrad Osterwald, rector of the UN University, at the opening of the conference. The experts agreed that climate change will be a significant cause of migration in the future. The rise in sea levels has already endangered coastal settlements. Escalating floods and droughts are resulting in the long term destruction of habitation areas and farm lands. The experts nevertheless did not feel that the linkages are monocausal. A combination of economic, environmental and security factors influence the occurrence of migration in varying degrees. Pinpointing the precise role of environmental changes, even as their significance becomes increasingly clear, will be virtually impossible.
The initial results indicate that the debate on the legal status of environmental refugees is taking up too much attention, particularly in potential target countries. So far, a large percentage of migrants remain in their own country and resettle elsewhere. Experts therefore feel that the approach to environmental migration needs to be proactive and integrated in development cooperation. Representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlighted the urgent need for local and regional migration concepts. In times of climate change, it makes no sense to incur huge costs towards maintaining people in areas that are increasingly uninhabitable. Instead, migration needs to be viewed as a potential adaptation strategy, and decisive action is necessary. This point was also underlined by Janos Bogardi, director of the Institute for Environment and Human Security at the UN University: "All indicators are clearly showing us that environmental migration is a growing problem with global dimensions." (Joeran Altenberg)
For the preliminary results of the research project, please see http://www.efmsv2008.org/article/706
Further information on Each-FOR can be found at http://www.each-for.eu/
Published in:ECC-Newsletter, December 2008
"The link between environmental change and human security becomes immediately apparent when one looks at the issue of migration," stated Konrad Osterwald, rector of the UN University, at the opening of the conference. The experts agreed that climate change will be a significant cause of migration in the future. The rise in sea levels has already endangered coastal settlements. Escalating floods and droughts are resulting in the long term destruction of habitation areas and farm lands. The experts nevertheless did not feel that the linkages are monocausal. A combination of economic, environmental and security factors influence the occurrence of migration in varying degrees. Pinpointing the precise role of environmental changes, even as their significance becomes increasingly clear, will be virtually impossible.
The initial results indicate that the debate on the legal status of environmental refugees is taking up too much attention, particularly in potential target countries. So far, a large percentage of migrants remain in their own country and resettle elsewhere. Experts therefore feel that the approach to environmental migration needs to be proactive and integrated in development cooperation. Representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlighted the urgent need for local and regional migration concepts. In times of climate change, it makes no sense to incur huge costs towards maintaining people in areas that are increasingly uninhabitable. Instead, migration needs to be viewed as a potential adaptation strategy, and decisive action is necessary. This point was also underlined by Janos Bogardi, director of the Institute for Environment and Human Security at the UN University: "All indicators are clearly showing us that environmental migration is a growing problem with global dimensions." (Joeran Altenberg)
For the preliminary results of the research project, please see http://www.efmsv2008.org/article/706
Further information on Each-FOR can be found at http://www.each-for.eu/
Published in:ECC-Newsletter, December 2008