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McGowran P, Mathews MA, Johns H, Harasym MC, Raju E, Ayeb-Karlsson S. Investigating the conditions of vulnerability experienced by migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala, India. DISASTERS 2024; 48:e12614. [PMID: 37811865 DOI: 10.1111/disa.12614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
This paper analyses findings of the 'PROWELLMIGRANTS'2 project, which qualitatively investigated COVID-19 impacts on migrants' well-being and mental health in Kerala, India. It draws on a novel conceptual framework that combines assemblage-thinking with theories of social contracts in disasters. The paper first explores how past development processes and contemporary migration policies in Kerala, and India more widely, generated conditions of vulnerability for migrant workers in Kerala prior to the pandemic. Next it shows that Government of Kerala interventions, in some cases supported by the central Government of India, temporarily addressed these vulnerabilities during the pandemic. In acknowledging the helpful response of the Kerala government, we problematise its stance on migrant workers during 'normal' times and speculate that permanently addressing these conditions of vulnerability would be a more logical approach. We acknowledge this involves overcoming many wider barriers. Thus, the paper also contains national-level policy implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter McGowran
- PhD is Senior Research Associate, United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security, Germany
- Lecturer in Development Geography, School of Law and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom
| | - Mishal A Mathews
- Research Assistant, United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security, Germany
| | - Hannah Johns
- PhD is Senior Research Associate, United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security, Germany
| | - Mary C Harasym
- Research Assistant, United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security, Germany
| | - Emmanuel Raju
- Associate Professor, Global Health Section, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Director, Copenhagen Center for Disaster Research, Denmark
- Visiting Associate Professor, African Centre for Disaster Studies, North-West University, South Africa
| | - Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson
- PhD is Associate Professor, Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London, United Kingdom
- Senior Researcher, United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security, United Kingdom
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2
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McGowran P, Johns H, Raju E, Ayeb-Karlsson S. The making of India's COVID-19 disaster: A Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Assemblage analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION : IJDRR 2023; 93:103797. [PMID: 37324932 PMCID: PMC10259166 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This article analyses the suite of policies and measures enacted by the Indian Union Government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic through apparatuses of disaster management. We focus on the period from the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, until mid-2021. This holistic review adopts a Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Assemblage conceptual approach to make sense of how the COVID-19 disaster was made possible and importantly how it was responded to, managed, exacerbated, and experienced as it continued to emerge. This approach is grounded in literature from critical disaster studies and geography. The analysis also draws on a wide range of other disciplines, ranging from epidemiology to anthropology and political science, as well as grey literature, newspaper reports, and official policy documents. The article is structured into three sections that investigate in turn and at different junctures the role of governmentality and disaster politics; scientific knowledge and expert advice, and socially and spatially differentiated disaster vulnerabilities in shaping the COVID-19 disaster in India. We put forward two main arguments on the basis of the literature reviewed. One is that both the impacts of the virus spread and the lockdown-responses to it affected already marginalised groups disproportionately. The other is that managing the COVID-19 pandemic through disaster management assemblage/apparatuses served to extend centralised executive authority in India. These two processes are demonstrated to be continuations of pre-pandemic trends. We conclude that evidence of a paradigm shift in India's approach to disaster management remains thin on the ground.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter McGowran
- United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security, UN Campus, Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, D-53113, Bonn, Germany
- School of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gibbs Building, Oxford Brookes Headington Campus, Headington Road, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Hannah Johns
- United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security, UN Campus, Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, D-53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Emmanuel Raju
- Global Health Section, Department of Public Health & Copenhagen Centre for Disaster Research, University of Copenhagen, CSS, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1014, København K, Denmark
- African Centre for Disaster Studies, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, North West Province, 2520, South Africa
| | - Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson
- United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security, UN Campus, Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, D-53113, Bonn, Germany
- Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London, London, UK
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3
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Mathews MA, De Neve G, Ayeb-Karlsson S. Dimensions of wellbeing and recognitional justice of migrant workers during the COVID-19 lockdown in Kerala, India. HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 10:206. [PMID: 37192943 PMCID: PMC10161971 DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-01687-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The lockdown of March 2020 in India witnessed one of the largest movements of migrants in the country. The state of Kerala was quick and efficient in responding to the challenges posed by the lockdown on its migrant population and in supporting its 'guest workers'. While many studies have researched the material resources of migrants during the pandemic, such as income and food, few have investigated the subjective measures and emphasised the lived experiences of migrant workers. Drawing on the Wellbeing in Developing Countries (WeD) approach which examines three dimensions of wellbeing, namely, (a) material, (b) relational and (c) subjective wellbeing, this article focuses on the mental health and wellbeing experiences of migrant workers during the first lockdown in Kerala. By deploying these wellbeing dimensions, the study looks at how migrant workers perceived and experienced the various interventions put in place by state and local governments, as well as voluntary initiatives aimed at supporting them. The study elaborates around migrants' relations of love, care, and trust, and their reasons to remain in Kerala or return home during the lockdown. The study found that a paradigm shift, where 'migrant workers' are becoming 'guest workers', was at the forefront of the captured narratives. The key findings in this way contribute to the understanding of migrants' lived experiences, wellbeing, and perceptions of the different lockdown interventions. We argue that an increased attention to subjective factors helps us understand migrant needs at times of crisis through their lived experiences and thereby enhances policy planning for disaster preparedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mishal Alice Mathews
- United Nations University- Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Bonn, Germany
- School of Global Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Geert De Neve
- School of Global Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson
- United Nations University- Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Bonn, Germany
- Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction (IRDR), University College London (UCL), London, UK
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McMichael C, Schwerdtle PN, Ayeb-Karlsson S. Waiting for the wave, but missing the tide: Case studies of climate-related (im)mobility and health. J Migr Health 2022; 7:100147. [PMID: 36619800 PMCID: PMC9816770 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmh.2022.100147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change amplifies health risks, including through the health impacts of climate-related displacement. Yet diverse mobility responses in a warming world can also provide a pathway for climate change adaptation. This article examines the connections between climatic and environmental change, human mobility and health. It presents case studies across three countries: Fiji, Bangladesh, and Burkina Faso. All case studies used qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews, storytelling, and group discussions. The Fiji case study focuses on relocation of a coastal village exposed to erosion, flooding and saltwater intrusion; it highlights self-reported health risks and opportunities following relocation. The Bangladesh case study includes seven sites that variously experience flooding, cyclones and riverbank erosion; while residents use migration and mobility as a coping strategy, there are associated health risks, particularly for those who feel trapped in new sites of residence. The case study from a village in Burkina Faso examines seasonal labour migration to the Ivory Coast and Mali during times of drought and reduced agricultural productivity, and discusses health risks for men who migrate and for women who remain in sending communities. These case studies illustrate that there is no consistent figure that represents a 'climate migrant', 'climate refugee', or 'trapped' person. Accordingly, we argue that where planetary health looks to highlight 'waves' of climate displacement, it may miss the 'tide' of slower onset climatic changes and smaller-scale and diverse forms of (im)mobility. However, even where climate-related mobility is broadly adaptive - e.g. providing opportunities for livelihood diversification, or migration away from environmental risks - there can be health risks and opportunities that are shaped by socio-political contexts, access to healthcare, altered food sources, and living and working conditions. Responsive solutions are required to protect and promote the health of mobile populations in a warming world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia McMichael
- School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, the University of Melbourne, 221 Bouverie St, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia,Corresponding author.
| | - Patricia Nayna Schwerdtle
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg 69117, Germany,Nursing & Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Science, Monash University, Australia
| | - Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson
- School of Global Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK,United Nations University, Institute for Environment and Human Security, EMIC, Bonn, Germany
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Harasym MC, Raju E, Ayeb-Karlsson S. A global mental health opportunity: How can cultural concepts of distress broaden the construct of immobility? GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE : HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS 2022; 77:102594. [PMID: 36407678 PMCID: PMC9651962 DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
(Im)mobility studies often focus on people on the move, neglecting those who stay, are immobile, or are trapped. The duality of the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis creates a global mental health challenge, impacting the most structurally oppressed, including immobile populations. The construct of immobility is investigated in the context of socio-political variables but lacks examination of the clinical psychological factors that impact immobility. Research is beginning to identify self-reported emotions that immobile populations experience through describing metaphors like feeling trapped. This article identifies links in the literature between Cultural Concepts of Distress drawn from transcultural psychiatry and immobility studies. Feeling trapped is described in mental health research widely. Among (im)mobile people and non-mobility contexts, populations experience various mental health conditions from depression to the cultural syndrome, nervios. The connection of feeling trapped to CCD research lends itself to potential utility in immobility research. The conceptualisation can support broadening and deepening the comprehension of this global mental health challenge - how immobile populations' experience feeling trapped. To broaden the analytical framework of immobility and incorporate CCD, evidence is needed to fill the gaps on the psychological aspects of immobility research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary C Harasym
- United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Bonn, Germany
| | - Emmanuel Raju
- Global Health Section and Copenhagen Centre for Disaster Research, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- African Centre for Disaster Studies, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson
- Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London (IRDR), University College London (UCL), London, UK
- United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Bonn, Germany
- School of Global Studies, University of Sussex, Falmer Brighton, UK
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Rabbani MMG, Cotton M, Friend R. Climate change and non-migration - exploring the role of place relations in rural and coastal Bangladesh. POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT 2022; 44:99-122. [PMID: 35615058 PMCID: PMC9123852 DOI: 10.1007/s11111-022-00402-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Of growing research and policy interest are the experiences of people living under conditions of climate change-induced environmental stress, which either are unable to migrate (sometimes described as a 'trapped population') or are seemingly unwilling to do so (sometimes described as the 'voluntarily immobile'). This paper problematises and expands upon these binary categories: examining the complex dimensionality of non-migration as a form of place relations, explored through qualitative study of rural and coastal Bangladeshi communities. Through 60 semi-structured interviews of individuals from four communities in the Kalapara region, the analysis proffers four qualitatively derived and inter-related dimensions of voluntary and involuntary non-migration framed as a form of place relations. These four dimensions concern the following: (1) livelihood opportunities, (2) place obduracy, (3) risk perceptions, and (4) social-structural constraints, with the interplay between these elements explaining diverse non-migratory experiences. In our analysis, 'place obduracy' is introduced as a concept to describe the differential speed of environmental change and socio-cultural adaptation responses to explain non-migratory experiences. Our discussion provides insight into how to best support non-migrant people's adaptive capacity in the face of growing climate emergency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew Cotton
- School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK
| | - Richard Friend
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
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7
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Household Migration and Intentions for Future Migration in the Climate Change Vulnerable Lower Meghna Estuary of Coastal Bangladesh. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14084686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
Coastal residents of Bangladesh are now confronted with the increased incidence, variability, and severity of weather-related hazards and disasters due to climate change-induced sea level rise (SLR). Many researchers hold the view that as a consequence residents of such area have either already migrated to inland locations or intend to so in the near future. We examine the migration of households following a flash flood event that took place in August 2020 and address intentions for future migration in the Lower Meghna Estuary of coastal Bangladesh. The data obtained for this study include 310 household surveys, field observations, and informal discussions with respondents and local people. Based on the analysis of the field data, this empirical research found one household migrated to other district within one year after the event. When the respondents were asked about their future migration intensions, only a tiny proportion, namely 21 (6.77%) households, likely will leave the study area to settle in other districts while the remaining 289 households likely will stay in the Lakshmipur district. This finding challenges the existing narratives about vulnerability to environmentally induced migration. Moreover, it provides evidence of non-migration, which is a new as well as thriving area of investigation in relation to coastal Bangladesh.
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8
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Guadagno L, Yonetani M. Displacement risk: Unpacking a problematic concept for disaster risk reduction. INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/imig.13004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Guadagno
- International Organization for Migration Preverenges Switzerland
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9
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Li Q, Samimi C. Sub-Saharan Africa's international migration constrains its sustainable development under climate change. SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE 2022; 17:1873-1897. [PMID: 35317493 PMCID: PMC8931456 DOI: 10.1007/s11625-022-01116-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is seen as a region of mass migration and population displacement caused by poverty, violent conflict, and environmental stress. However, empirical evidence is inconclusive regarding how SSA's international migration progressed and reacted during its march to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This article attempts to study the patterns and determinants of SSA's international migration and the cause and effects on sustainable development by developing a Sustainability Index and regression models. We find that international migration was primarily intra-SSA to low-income but high-population-density countries. Along with increased sustainability scores, international migration declined, but emigration rose. Climate extremes tend to affect migration and emigration but not universally. Dry extremes propelled migration, whereas wet extremes had an adverse effect. Hot extremes had an increasing effect but were insignificant. SSA's international migration was driven by food insecurity, low life expectancy, political instability and violence, high economic growth, unemployment, and urbanisation rates. The probability of emigration was mainly driven by high fertility. SSA's international migration promoted asylum seeking to Europe with the diversification of origin countries and a motive for economic wellbeing. 1% more migration flow or 1% higher probability of emigration led to a 0.2% increase in asylum seekers from SSA to Europe. Large-scale international migration and recurrent emigration constrained SSA's sustainable development in political stability, food security, and health, requiring adequate governance and institutions for better migration management and planning towards the SDGs. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-022-01116-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qirui Li
- Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Climatology Research Group, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Cyrus Samimi
- Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Climatology Research Group, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth, Centre of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, 95448 Bayreuth, Germany
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10
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DeWaard J, Hunter LM, Mathews M, Quiñones EJ, Riosmena F, Simon DH. Operationalizing and empirically identifying populations trapped in place by climate and environmental stressors in Mexico. REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE 2022; 22:29. [PMID: 35422672 PMCID: PMC9004677 DOI: 10.1007/s10113-022-01882-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we propose a guiding operational definition and corresponding set of empirical steps to identify and study trapped populations. Trapped populations consist of actors who are highly vulnerable to climate and environmental stressors given limited resources (economic, social, etc.), which limit their ability to adapt to these stressors in-situ or by choosing to migrate. Informed by both insights and omissions from prior theoretical and empirical research, we propose a guiding operational definition of trapped populations that appreciates and incorporates actors' limited resources and their migration intentions against the backdrop of climate and environmental stressors. As it should, our operational definition points to a specific set of operations, or steps, which can be followed to empirically identify and study trapped populations. Using data from the Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS), we detail the steps permitting both retrospective and prospective identification of trapped populations. We conclude by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of our operational definition and empirical approach, as well as possible extensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack DeWaard
- Department of Sociology & Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota. 909 Social Sciences, 267 19 Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Lori M Hunter
- Department of Sociology & Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado Boulder. Boulder, CO
| | - Mason Mathews
- School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University. Tempe, AZ
| | | | - Fernando Riosmena
- Department of Geography & Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado Boulder. Boulder, CO
| | - Daniel H Simon
- Department of Sociology & Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado Boulder. Boulder, CO
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11
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Mallick B, Rogers KG, Sultana Z. In harm's way: Non-migration decisions of people at risk of slow-onset coastal hazards in Bangladesh. AMBIO 2022; 51:114-134. [PMID: 33825159 PMCID: PMC8651874 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01552-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Non-migration is an adaptive strategy that has received little attention in environmental migration studies. We explore the leveraging factors of non-migration decisions of communities at risk in coastal Bangladesh, where exposure to both rapid- and slow-onset natural disasters is high. We apply the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to empirical data and assess how threat perception and coping appraisal influences migration decisions in farming communities suffering from salinization of cropland. This study consists of data collected through quantitative household surveys (n = 200) and semi-structured interviews from four villages in southwest coastal Bangladesh. Results indicate that most respondents are unwilling to migrate, despite better economic conditions and reduced environmental risk in other locations. Land ownership, social connectedness, and household economic strength are the strongest predictors of non-migration decisions. This study is the first to use the PMT to understand migration-related behaviour and the findings are relevant for policy planning in vulnerable regions where exposure to climate-related risks is high but populations are choosing to remain in place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bishawjit Mallick
- CU Population Center Institute of Behavioural Science, University of Colorado Boulder Campus, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
- Chair of Environmental Development and Risk Management, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Technische Universität Dresden, 01217 Dresden, Germany
| | - Kimberly G. Rogers
- Integrated Coastal Programs, East Carolina University, 850 NC 345 Wanchese, Greenville, NC 27981 USA
| | - Zakia Sultana
- Department of Environmental Science and Disaster Management, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, 8100 Bangladesh
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12
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Stojanov R, Rosengaertner S, de Sherbinin A, Nawrotzki R. Climate Mobility and Development Cooperation. POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT 2021; 43:209-231. [PMID: 34305224 PMCID: PMC8285725 DOI: 10.1007/s11111-021-00387-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Development cooperation actors have been addressing climate change as a cross-cutting issue and investing in climate adaptation projects since the early 2000s. More recently, as concern has risen about the potential impacts of climate variability and change on human mobility, development cooperation actors have begun to design projects that intentionally address the drivers of migration, including climate impacts on livelihoods. However, to date, we know little about the development cooperation's role and function in responding to climate related mobility and migration. As such, the main aim of this paper is to outline the policy frameworks and approaches shaping development cooperation actors' engagement and to identify areas for further exploration and investment. First, we frame the concept of climate mobility and migration and discuss some applicable policy frameworks that govern the issue from various perspectives; secondly, we review the toolbox of approaches that development cooperation actors bring to climate mobility; and third, we discuss the implications of the current Covid-19 pandemic and identify avenues for the way forward. We conclude that ensuring safe and orderly mobility and the decent reception and long-term inclusion of migrants and displaced persons under conditions of more severe climate hazards, and in the context of rising nationalism and xenophobia, poses significant challenges. Integrated approaches across multiple policy sectors and levels of governance are needed. In addition to resources, development cooperation actors can bring data to help empower the most affected communities and regions and leverage their convening power to foster more coordinated approaches within and across countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Stojanov
- Faculty of Business and Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Alex de Sherbinin
- Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), The Earth Institute, Columbia University, NY, USA
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13
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Kelman I, Ayeb-Karlsson S, Rose-Clarke K, Prost A, Ronneberg E, Wheeler N, Watts N. A review of mental health and wellbeing under climate change in small island developing states (SIDS). ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS : ERL [WEB SITE] 2021; 16:033007. [PMID: 34149865 PMCID: PMC8208624 DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/abe57d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Small island developing states (SIDS) are often at the forefront of climate change impacts, including those related to health, but information on mental health and wellbeing is typically underreported. To help address this research lacuna, this paper reviews research about mental health and wellbeing under climate change in SIDS. Due to major differences in the literature's methodologies, results, and analyses, the method is an overview and qualitative evidence synthesis of peer-reviewed publications. The findings show that mental health and wellbeing in the context of climate change have yet to feature prominently and systematically in research covering SIDS. It seems likely that major adverse mental health and wellbeing impacts linked to climate change impacts will affect SIDS peoples. Similar outcomes might also emerge when discussing climate change related situations, scenarios, and responses, irrespective of what has actually happened thus far due to climate change. In the context of inadequate health systems and stigmatisation of mental health diagnoses and treatments, as tends to occur globally, climate change narratives might present an opening for conversations about addressing mental health and wellbeing issues for SIDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilan Kelman
- University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
- University of Agder, 4630 Kristiansand, Norway
| | - Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson
- University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RH, United Kingdom
- United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security, D-53113 Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Audrey Prost
- University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Espen Ronneberg
- Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Apia, Samoa
| | - Nicola Wheeler
- Consultant (World Health Organization), Associate (Outsight International), London, United Kingdom
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14
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Abstract
Abstract
This paper is a response Ferris (2020), specifically to the call for coalescence around a single term by which to talk about people migrating in response to climate change. While sympathetic to the imperative behind Ferris’ (2020) call, my overall argument is to reject this proposal. Instead I argue for less of focus on what we call people migrating in response to climate change, and more of a focus on how we talk about them. To justify this, I argue that a single term is inherently reductive and likely to play upon anti-immigrant sentiment due to the need to portray ‘migration as a problem’. At best this will result in a policy focus with limited capacity to address the challenge of migration in a context of climate change. At worst it will drive a policy response that is overtly counter-productive. As an alternative, I propose embracing a multitude of discourses, informed by principals that I argue will drive a humane climate agenda, and allow for a flexible approach that can account for the variety of concerns at the nexus of climate change and human migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Morrissey
- Senior Researcher, Energy, Climate and Poverty. Extractive Industries and Governance at Oxfam America
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15
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Nayna Schwerdtle P, Stockemer J, Bowen KJ, Sauerborn R, McMichael C, Danquah I. A Meta-Synthesis of Policy Recommendations Regarding Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E9342. [PMID: 33327439 PMCID: PMC7764877 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17249342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Changing mobility patterns combined with changes in the climate present challenges and opportunities for global health, requiring effective, relevant, and humane policy responses. This study used data from a systematic literature review that examined the intersection between climate change, migration, and health. The study aimed to synthesize policy recommendations in the peer-reviewed literature, regarding this type of environmental migration with respect to health, to strengthen the evidence-base. Systematic searches were conducted in four academic databases (PubMed, Ovid Medline, Global Health and Scopus) and Google Scholar for empirical studies published between 1990-2020 that used any study design to investigate migration and health in the context of climate change. Studies underwent a two-stage protocol-based screening process and eligible studies were appraised for quality using a standardized mixed-methods tool. From the initial 2425 hits, 68 articles were appraised for quality and included in the synthesis. Among the policy recommendations, six themes were discernible: (1) avoid the universal promotion of migration as an adaptive response to climate risk; (2) preserve cultural and social ties of mobile populations; (3) enable the participation of migrants in decision-making in sites of relocation and resettlement; (4) strengthen health systems and reduce barriers for migrant access to health care; (5) support and promote optimization of social determinants of migrant health; (6) integrate health into loss and damage assessments related to climate change, and consider immobile and trapped populations. The results call for transformative policies that support the health and wellbeing of people engaging in or affected by mobility responses, including those whose migration decisions and experiences are influenced by climate change, and to establish and develop inclusive migrant healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Nayna Schwerdtle
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Universitaetsklinikum Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (J.S.); (R.S.); (I.D.)
- Nursing & Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Julia Stockemer
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Universitaetsklinikum Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (J.S.); (R.S.); (I.D.)
| | - Kathryn J. Bowen
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, and Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia;
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, 14467 Potsdam, Germany
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Rainer Sauerborn
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Universitaetsklinikum Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (J.S.); (R.S.); (I.D.)
| | - Celia McMichael
- School of Geography, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia;
| | - Ina Danquah
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Universitaetsklinikum Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (J.S.); (R.S.); (I.D.)
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McMichael C, Dasgupta S, Ayeb-Karlsson S, Kelman I. A review of estimating population exposure to sea-level rise and the relevance for migration. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS : ERL [WEB SITE] 2020; 15:123005. [PMID: 34149864 PMCID: PMC8208600 DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/abb398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
This review analyses global or near-global estimates of population exposure to sea-level rise (SLR) and related hazards, followed by critically examining subsequent estimates of population migration due to this exposure. Our review identified 33 publications that provide global or near-global estimates of population exposure to SLR and associated hazards. They fall into three main categories of exposure, based on definitions in the publications: (i) the population impacted by specified levels of SLR; (ii) the number of people living in floodplains that are subject to coastal flood events with a specific return period; and (iii) the population living in low-elevation coastal zones. Twenty of these 33 publications discuss connections between population migration and SLR. In our analysis of the exposure and migration data, we consider datasets, analytical methods, and the challenges of estimating exposure to SLR followed by potential human migration. We underscore the complex connections among SLR, exposure to its impacts, and migration. Human mobility to and from coastal areas is shaped by diverse socioeconomic, demographic, institutional, and political factors; there may be 'trapped' populations as well as those who prefer not to move for social, cultural, and political reasons; and migration can be delayed or forestalled through other adaptive measures. While global estimates of exposed and potentially migrating populations highlight the significant threats of SLR for populations living in low-lying areas at or near coastlines, further research is needed to understand the interactions among localised SLR and related hazards, social and political contexts, adaptation possibilities, and potential migration and (im)mobility decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson
- University of Sussex, United Kingdom
- United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Germany
| | - Ilan Kelman
- Corresponding author: University College London (UCL), United Kingdom
- University of Agder, Norway
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Ajibade I, Sullivan M, Haeffner M. Why climate migration is not managed retreat: Six justifications. GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE : HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS 2020; 65:102187. [PMID: 33106732 PMCID: PMC7577247 DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2020.102187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
This perspective piece makes a case for a more rigorous treatment of managed retreat as a politically, legally, and economically distinct type of relocation that is separate from climate migration. We argue that the use of both concepts interchangeably obfuscates the problems around climate-induced mobilities and contributes to the inconsistencies in policy, plans, and actions taken by governments and organizations tasked with addressing them. This call for a disentanglement is not solely an academic exercise aimed at conceptual clarity, but an effort targeted at incentivizing researchers, practitioners, journalists, and advocates working on both issues to better serve their constituencies through alliance formation, resource mobilization, and the establishment of institutional pathways to climate justice. We offer a critical understanding of the distinctions between climate migration and managed retreat grounded in six orienting propositions. They include differential: causal mechanisms, legal protections, rights regimes and funding structures, discursive effects, implications for land use, and exposure to risks. We provide empirical examples from existing literature to contextualize our propositions while calling for a transformative justice approach to addressing both issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idowu Ajibade
- Department of Geography, Portland State University, USA
| | - Meghan Sullivan
- Department of Geography, Portland State University, USA
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, Portland State University, USA
| | - Melissa Haeffner
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, Portland State University, USA
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No Power without Knowledge: A Discursive Subjectivities Approach to Investigate Climate-Induced (Im)mobility and Wellbeing. SOCIAL SCIENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/socsci9060103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last few decades we have seen a rapid growth in the body of literature on climate-induced human mobility or environmental migration. Meanwhile, in-depth people-centred studies investigating people’s (im)mobility decision-making as a highly complex and sociopsychological process are scarce. This is problematic as human decision-making behaviour and responses—including their success or failure—closely align with people’s wellbeing status. In this article, elaborations around why these under-representations of research narratives and existing methods will guide us towards a solution. The article proposes a conceptual model to help fill this gap that is inspired by Michel Foucault’s power and knowledge relationship and discursive subjectivities. The conceptual idea introduced by the article offers as a replicable approach and potential way forward that can support widening empirical research in the area of climate-induced (im)mobility decision-making and wellbeing.
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Migration influenced by environmental change in Africa: A systematic review of empirical evidence. DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH 2019. [DOI: 10.4054/demres.2019.41.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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Abstract
While those ‘trapped’ or who choose to stay in areas affected by climate change represent a substantial policy issue, there only a small amount of empirical work specifically targeting such populations. The scant attention that is afforded to immobility often emphasizes financial constraints as factors driving (involuntary) immobility. As an essential part of the mobility spectrum, the complexity of immobility in crisis, including its political dimensions, warrants thorough investigation. In response to these gaps, this contribution locates environmental immobility within mobilities studies, its conceptual complexities, and, finally, illustrates the importance of political factors in shaping (im)mobilities. The findings are based on semi-structured interviews conducted in two developing countries experiencing the impacts of climate change. We delve into the socio-cultural and economic nature of (im)mobilities as they interact with political forces, specifically by exploring international bilateral agreements (Senegal) and a relocation program (Vietnam). In political spaces that are dominated by a desire to limit human mobility and (re)produce stasis, we challenge traditional dichotomies between mobile/immobile and sedentary/migration polices by underlining how policy interventions can simultaneously promote mobility and immobility, demonstrating complex co-existing mobilities. Keeping people in place can, in fact, mean allowing the very same people to move.
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