Migration Theory in Climate Mobility Research

Frontiers in Climate

Michael J. Puma¹  Alex de Sherbinin²  Andrew Bell³  Sonali McDermid⁴  Kathryn Grace⁵  Kees van der Geest⁶ 

[1] Center for Climate Systems Research (CCSR), Columbia Climate School, New York, NY, United States;Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia Climate School, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, United States;Department of Earth and the Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States;Department of Environmental Studies, New York University, New York, NY, United States;Department of Geography, Environment and Society, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States;United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Bonn, Germany;

关键词: migration theory;    climate migration;    climate mobility;    migration research;    climate adaptation;    human mobility;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fclim.2022.882343

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The purpose of this article is to explore how migration theory is invoked in empirical studies of climate-related migration, and to provide suggestions for engagement with theory in the emerging field of climate mobility. Theory is critical for understanding processes we observe in social-ecological systems because it points to a specific locus of attention for research, shapes research questions, guides quantitative model development, influences what researchers find, and ultimately informs policies and programs. Research into climate mobility has grown out of early studies on environmental migration, and has often developed in isolation from broader theoretical developments in the migration research community. As such, there is a risk that the work may be inadequately informed by the rich corpus of theory that has contributed to our understanding of who migrates; why they migrate; the types of mobility they employ; what sustains migration streams; and why they choose certain destinations over others. On the other hand, there are ways in which climate and broader environment migration research is enriching the conceptual frameworks being employed to understand migration, particularly forced migration. This paper draws on a review of 75 empirical studies and modeling efforts conducted by researchers from a diversity of disciplines, covering various regions, and using a variety of data sources and methods to assess how they used theory in their research. The goal is to suggest ways forward for engagement with migration theory in this large and growing research domain.

【 授权许可】

Unknown