Environmental Migration as a Humanitarian Challenge

Abstract

Environmental migration has received increasing attention in political and legal debates as well as in academic research. In all three contexts the complexity of the topic and the difficulties in addressing it adequately have been stressed. The ongoing discussions within humanitarian organizations themselves concerning this topic, however, have received limited research attention. Humanitarian organizations work closely with vulnerable populations, and are often among the first groups responding to local needs in their projects and relief operations. Starting from this observation, this research analyses both the challenges and opportunities in addressing the needs of environmental migrants from a humanitarian perspective. The study focuses on the positions developed within the International Red Cross/Red Crescent (RC/RC) Movement, particularly within the International Federation of the RC/RC (IFRC).