Migration and Climate Change: An Overview

TLDR

Climate change is a major global concern, and its impact on migration is increasingly studied, yet knowledge remains limited and fragmented. The article reviews the climate‑change–migration nexus, examining social and political contexts, state policy responses, institutional perspectives, critical views of the environmental–migration link, relevant concepts, gender and human‑rights implications, and international law. The authors synthesize existing empirical evidence to explore these issues, drawing on a range of studies to map the key themes. The review highlights two intertwined arguments: that environmental factors shape migration alongside social, political, and economic drivers, and that the political framework and treatment of affected people are essential, linking environmental determinism to their status.

Abstract

Climate change has become a major concern for the international community. Among its consequences, its impact on migration is the object of increasing attention from both policy-makers and researchers. Yet, knowledge in this field remains limited and fragmented. This article therefore provides an overview of the climate change – migration nexus: on the basis of available empirical findings, it investigates the key issues at stake, including the social and political context in which the topic emerged; States’ policy responses and the views of different institutional actors; critical perspectives on the actual relationship between the environment and (forced) migration; the concepts and notions most adequate to address this relationship; gender and human rights implications; as well as international law and policy orientations. Two major interconnected arguments arise. The first regards the weight of environmental and climatic factors in migration and their relationship to other push or pull factors, whether of a social, political, or economic nature. The second is about the political framework in which such migration flows should take place and the manner in which to treat the people who move in connection with environmental factors. The two issues are deeply intertwined, as the extent to which the environment determines migration is intimately connected to the status to be associated with the people concerned.