Definition
Climate change-related human movement typically occurs within a complex web of commingled contributory causative factors. Hence the multicausality inherent in human movement makes attribution or disaggregation of causality an almost intractable problem. Nevertheless, climate change is now widely recognized as a key contributing migration push factor. Moreover, there is agreement among experts that its contribution to migration, relative to other causes, is growing. This suggests a possible, if not probable, influx in “climate refugees” (Reeves and Jouzel 2010), although this term is contested in the literature (cf. Zetter 2017; Ahmed 2018; see Box 1). Adopting a posture of “preparedness” emerges as an important priority for effective adaptation to climate change, where “migration” is seen not as a “failure to adapt” but rather as...
References
ADB – Asian Development Bank (2012) Addressing climate change and migration in Asia and the Pacific: final report. Asian Development Bank, Metro Manila. https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/29662/addressing-climate-change-migration.pdf. Accessed 19 Oct 2018
Ahmed B (2018) Who takes responsibility for the climate refugees? Int J Clim Change Strateg Manage 10(1):5–26. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-10-2016-0149
Biermann F, Boas I (2010) Preparing for a warmer world: towards a global governance system to protect climate refugees. Glob Environ Polit 10(1):60–88
Bijlsma L, Ehler CNR, Klein JT, Kulshrestha SM, McLean RF, Mimura N, Nicholls RJ, Nurse LA, Perez Nieto H, Stakhiv EZ, Turner RK, Warrick RA (1996) Coastal zones and small islands. In: Watson RT, Zinyowera MC, Moss RH (eds) Impacts, adaptations and mitigation of climate change: scientific-technical analysis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge/New York, pp 289–324
Black R (2001) Environmental refugees: myth or reality? New issues in refugee research. Working paper 34. University of Sussex, Brighton. http://www.refworld.org/docid/4ff57e562.html. Accessed 22 Oct 2018
Breisinger C, Zhu T, Al Riffai P, Nelson G, Robertson R, Funes J, Verner D (2013) Economic impacts of climate change in Syria. Clim Chang Econ 4(1):1–30
Brown O (2007) Climate change and forced migration: observations, projections and implications. Thematic paper for the human development report 2007/2008. Geneva. http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2008/climate_forced_migration.pdf. Accessed 19 Oct 2018
Brown O (2008a) Migration and climate change. Paper prepared for IOM 31. IOM migration research series. International Organization for Migration, IOM, Geneva. https://www.iom.cz/files/Migration_and_Climate_Change_-_IOM_Migration_Research_Series_No_31.pdf. Accessed 19 Oct 2018
Brown O (2008b) The numbers game. Forced Migr Rev 31:8–9
Brown LR (2011) World on the edge: how to prevent environmental and economic collapse. Earth Policy Institute. W. W. Norton, New York/London
Byravan S, Rajan SC (2008) The social impacts of climate change in South Asia. Immigration could ease climate change impacts. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1129346. Accessed 20 Oct 2018
Castles S (2002) Environmental change and forced migration: making sense of the debate. New issues in refugee research. Working paper 70. Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Geneva
Castles S (2011) Concluding remarks on the climate change-migration nexus. In: Piguet E, Pécoud A, de Guchteneire P (eds) Migration and climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Chambers R (1997) Whose reality counts? Putting the last first. Intermediate Technology Publications, London
Charlton J (2000) Nothing about us without us. Disability oppression and empowerment. University of California Press, Berkeley
Christian Aid (2007) Human tide: the real migration crisis. A Christian Aid report. Author, London. https://www.christianaid.org.uk/sites/default/files/2017-08/human-tide-the-real-migration-crisis-may-2007.pdf. Accessed 20 Oct 2018
Cohen JE, Small C, Mellinger A, Gallup J, Sachs J (1997) Estimates of coastal population. Science 278(5341): 1209–1213
Cournil C (2011) The protection of “environmental refugees” in international law. In: Piguet E, Pécoud A, de Guchteneire P (eds) Migration and climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 359–386
Dasgupta S, Laplante B, Meisner C, Wheeler D, Yan J (2007) The impact of sea level rise on developing countries: a comparative analysis. Policy research working paper 4136. World Bank, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-4136
Docherty B, Giannini T (2009) Confronting a rising tide: a proposal for a convention on climate change refugees. Harv Environ Law Rev 33(2):349–403
Dun O, Gemenne F (2008) Defining environmental migration: there is currently no consensus on definitions in this field of study. The resulting variety of terms is not just confusing but unhelpful. Forced Migr Rev 31:10–11
Dupont A, Pearman G (2006) Heating up the planet: climate change and security. Lowy Institute for International Policy, Double Bay
EC – European Commission (2019) Goal 13: take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. https://ec.europa.eu/sustainable-development/goal13_en. Accessed 8 Jan 2019
Ehrlich PR, Ehrlich AH (2013) Can a collapse of global civilization be avoided? Proc R Soc B 280(1754): 20122845
Foresight (2011) Migration and global environmental change: final project report. The Government Office for Science, London. http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/foresight/docs/migration/11-1116-migration-and-global-environmental-change.pdf. Accessed 22 Oct 2018
Garfield CA (1986) Peak performers: the new heroes of American business. William Morrow and Company, New York
Gemenne F (2009) Environmental changes and migration flows: normative frameworks and policy responses. PhD thesis, Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris and University of Liège
Gemenne F (2011) Why the numbers don’t add up: a review of estimates and predictions of people displaced by environmental changes. Glob Environ Chang 21(1):41–49
GFMD – Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) (2010) Fourth meeting of the GFMD, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 8–11 November 2010. Partnerships for migration and human development: shared prosperity – shared responsibility. Report of the proceedings. https://gfmd.org/files/documents/gfmd_mexico10_report_of_the_proceedings_en.pdf. Accessed 20 Oct 2018
Goffman E (2006) Environmental refugees: how many, how bad? CSA Discovery Guides. https://docuri.com/download/environmental-refugees_59c1cd07f581710b28625cff_pdf. Accessed 20 Oct 2018
Gommes RJ, du Guerny J, Nachtergaele F, Brinkman R (1998) Potential impacts of sea-level rise on populations and agriculture. FAO SD-Dimensions. http://www.fao.org/sd/eidirect/EIre0045.htm. Accessed 18 Aug 2012
Green D (2006) How might climate change impact island culture in the in the Torres Strait? CSIRO research paper 11. Melbourne. http://www.cmar.csiro.au/e-print/open/greendl_2006a.pdf. Accessed 22 Oct 2018
Hennessy K, Fitzharris B, Bates BC, Harvey N, Howden SM, Hughes L, Salinger J, Warrick R (2007) Australia and New Zealand. In: Parry ML, Canziani OF, Palutikof JP, van der Linden PJ, Hanson CE (eds) Climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp 507–540
Hugo G (1996) Environmental concerns and international migration. Int Migr Rev 30(1):105–131
Hugo G (2010) Climate change-induced mobility and the existing migration regime in Asia and the Pacific. In: McAdam J (ed) Climate change and displacement: multidisciplinary perspectives. Hart Publishing, Oxford, pp 9–35
Hugo G (2011) Future demographic change and its interactions with migration and climate change. Glob Environ Chang 21(Suppl 1):21–33
IOM – International Organization for Migration (2010) Disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and environmental migration: a policy perspective. http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/DDR_CCA_report.pdf. Accessed 19 Oct 2018
IOM – International Organization for Migration (2018) Migration, climate change and the environment: a complex nexus. https://www.iom.int/complex-nexus. Accessed 20 Oct 2018
IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (1995) In: Core Writing Team, Bruce JP, Hoesung L, Haites EF (eds) Climate change 1995: economic and social dimensions of climate change. Contribution of Working Group III to the second assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK
IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007) In: Core Writing Team, Pachauri RK, Reisinger A (eds) Climate change 2007: synthesis report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC, Geneva
IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2012) In: Field CB, Barros V, Stocker TF, Qin D, Dokken DJ, Ebi KL, Mastrandrea MD, Mach KJ, Plattner G-K, Allen SK, Tignor M, Midgley PM (eds) Managing the risks of extreme events and disasters to advance climate change adaptation. A special report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK
IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2018) Global warming of 1.5 °C. A special report. Author, Geneva
Jacobsen J (1988) Environmental refugees: a yardstick of habitability. Worldwatch paper 86. Worldwatch Institute, Washington, DC
Laczko F, Aghazarm C (eds) (2009) Migration, environment and climate change: assessing the evidence. International Organization for Migration, Geneva. http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/migration_and_environment.pdf. Accessed 20 Oct 2018
Levy BS, Sidel VW, Patz JA (2017) Climate change and collective violence. Annu Rev Public Health 38:241–257. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031816-044232
Luetz JM (2008) Planet prepare: preparing coastal communities in Asia for future catastrophes. Asia Pacific Disaster Report. World Vision International, Bangkok. http://luetz.com/docs/planet-prepare.pdf. Accessed 19 Oct 2018
Luetz JM (2013) Climate migration: preparedness informed policy opportunities identified during field research in Bolivia, Bangladesh and Maldives. PhD dissertation, University of New South Wales, Sydney. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/52944. Accessed 31 May 2016
Luetz JM (2017) Climate change and migration in the Maldives: some lessons for policy makers. In: Leal Filho W (ed) Climate change adaptation in pacific countries: fostering resilience and improving the quality of life. Springer, Berlin. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50094-2_3
Luetz JM (2018) Climate change and migration in Bangladesh: empirically derived lessons and opportunities for policy makers and practitioners. In: Leal Filho W, Nalau J (eds) Limits to climate change adaptation. Climate change management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64599-5_5
Luetz JM, Havea PH (2018) “We’re not refugees, we’ll stay here until we die!” – climate change adaptation and migration experiences gathered from the Tulun and Nissan Atolls of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. In: Leal Filho W (ed) Climate change impacts and adaptation strategies for coastal communities. Climate change management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70703-7_1
Luetz JM, Sultana N (2019) Disaster risk reduction begins at school: research in Bangladesh highlights education as a key success factor for building disaster ready and resilient communities – a manifesto for mainstreaming disaster risk education. In: Leal Filho W, Lackner BC, McGhie H (eds) Addressing the challenges in communicating climate change across various audiences. Climate change management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98294-6_37
Luetz JM, Walid M (2019) Social responsibility versus sustainable development in United Nations policy documents: a meta-analytical review of key terms in human development reports. In: Leal Filho W (ed) Social responsibility and sustainability – how businesses and organizations can operate in a sustainable and socially responsible way. World sustainability series. Springer Nature, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03562-4_16
Luetz JM, Buxton G, Bangert K (2018) Christian theological, hermeneutical and eschatological perspectives on environmental sustainability and creation care – the role of holistic education. In: Luetz JM, Dowden T, Norsworthy B (eds) Reimagining Christian education – cultivating transformative approaches. Springer Nature, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0851-2_4
Luetz JM, Bergsma C, Hills K (2019) The poor just might be the educators we need for global sustainability – a manifesto for consulting the unconsulted. In: Leal Filho W, Consorte McCrea A (eds) Sustainability and the humanities. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95336-6_7
McAdam J (ed) (2010) Climate change and displacement: multidisciplinary perspectives. Hart Publishing, Oxford, UK
McGranahan G, Balk D, Anderson B (2007) The rising tide: assessing the risks of climate change and human settlements in low elevation coastal zones. Environ Urban 19(1):17–37. International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
McKean E (ed) (2005) The new Oxford American dictionary, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, New York
McNamara KE, Gibson C (2009) “We do not want to leave our land”: Pacific ambassadors at the United Nations resist the category of “climate refugees”. Geoforum 40(3):475–483
Mimura N (2006) State of the environment in the Asia and Pacific coastal zones and effects of global change. In: Harvey N (ed, 2007) Global change and integrated coastal management: the Asia Pacific region. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 17–38
Myers N (1993) Environmental refugees in a globally warmed world. Bioscience 43(11):752–761
Myers N (1994) Environmental refugees and climate change: estimating the scope of what could well become a prominent international phenomenon. Presented at IPCC workshop on equity and social considerations, Nairobi
Myers N (2006) Presentation to public seminar, Storey Hall. RMIT, Melbourne. Hosted by Friends of the Earth and the Globalism Institute
Myers N, Kent J (1995) Environmental exodus: an emergent crisis in the global arena. Climate Institute, Washington, DC
Nicholls RJ (2004) Coastal flooding and wetland loss in the 21st century: changes under the SRES climate and socio-economic scenarios. Glob Environ Chang 14(1):69–86
Nicholls RJ, Small C (2002) Improved estimates of coastal population and exposure to hazards released. Eos 83(28):301–305
Piguet É (2013) From “primitive migration” to “climate refugees”: the curious fate of the natural environment in migration studies. Ann Assoc Am Geogr 103(1): 148–162
Preston BL, Ramasamy S, Macadam I, Bathols J (2006) Climate change in the Asia/Pacific region: a consultancy report prepared for the Climate Change and Development Roundtable. Climate change impacts and risk. CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Aspendale
Rajan SC (2008) Blue alert. Climate migrants in South Asia: estimates and solutions. Greenpeace, Chennai. http://www.greenpeace.org/archive-india/blue-alert-report. Accessed 20 Oct 2018
Reeves H, Jouzel J (2010) Climate refugees. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Press, Cambridge, MA
Renaud F, Bogardi JJ, Dun O, Warner K (2007) Control, adapt or flee – how to face environmental migration? InterSecTions 5/2007. United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), Bonn
Sachs JD (2007) Climate change refugees – as global warming tightens the availability of water, prepare for a torrent of forced migrations. Sci Am 296(6):43
Schellnhuber HJ (2008) Global warming: stop worrying, start panicking? Proc Natl Acad Sci 105(38): 14239–14240
Schellnhuber HJ (2009) Der Klima-Flüsterer: Deutschlands Umwelt-Papst im Gespräch mit dem Klima-Magazin. KLIMA Mag 01(2009):72–77
Small C, Nicholls RJ (2003) A global analysis of human settlement in coastal zones. J Coast Res 3(3):584–599
Stern N (ed) (2006) The economics of climate change. The Stern review. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK
Tacoli C (2009) Crisis or adaptation? Migration and climate change in a context of high mobility. Environ Urban 2(2):513–525
UN – United Nations (ed) (2016) Human settlements on the coast: the ever more popular coasts. UN atlas of the oceans. http://www.oceansatlas.org/subtopic/en/c/114/. Accessed 10 Dec 2018
UN – United Nations (2017) Factsheet: people and oceans. The Oceans conference, United Nations, 5–9 June 2017, New York. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Ocean-fact-sheet-package.pdf. Accessed 10 Dec 2018
UN – United Nations (2019) Sustainable Development Goals – Goal 13: take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change-2/. Accessed 8 Jan 2019
UN Habitat – United Nations Human Settlements Programme (2006) State of the world’s cities 2006/2007. Author, Nairobi
UNDP – United Nations Development Programme (2007) Human development report 2007/2008. Fighting climate change: human solidarity in a divided world. United Nations Development Programme, New York. http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/reports/268/hdr_20072008_en_complete.pdf. Accessed 21 Oct 2018
UNHCR – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2017) Tool box: planning relocations to protect people from disasters and environmental change. UNHCR, Geneva. http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/596f15774.pdf. Accessed 22 Oct 2018
UNISDR – United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (2011) Global assessment report on disaster risk reduction. Geneva, Switzerland United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction, United Nations Development Programme (UNISDR-UNDP 2012) Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the Pacific: an institutional and policy analysis. UNISDR, UNDP, Suva
UNISDR – United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015) Sendai framework for disaster risk reduction 2015–2030. Third UN world conference on disaster risk reduction, Sendai. https://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/publications/43291. Accessed 18 Oct 2018
UN-OCHA – United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2009) Monitoring disaster displacement in the context of climate change: findings of a study by UN-OCHA and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). http://www.internal-displacement.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/200909-monitoring-disaster-displacement-thematic-en.pdf. Accessed 20 Oct 2018
Walker C (2007) The human rights dimension of climate change: what are the implications for social policy? In: The climate change and social policy edition (Online) Just Policy 46:12–16
Walker C (2009) Climate refugees and new understandings of security. In: Moss J (ed) Climate change and social justice. Melbourne University Publishing, Melbourne, pp 168–184
Warner K, Ehrhart C, de Sherbinin A, Adamo S, Chai-Onn T (2009) In search of shelter – mapping the effects of climate change on human migration and displacement. Policy paper prepared for the 2009 climate negotiations. United Nations University, CARE, and CIESIN-Columbia University and in close collaboration with the European Commission “Environmental change and forced migration scenarios project”, the UNHCR and the World Bank, Bonn
WBGU – German Advisory Council on Global Change (2006) The future oceans – warming up, rising high, turning sour. Special report. WBGU, Berlin
WBGU – German Advisory Council on Global Change (2007) Climate change as a security risk. WBGU/Earthscan, Berlin/London
WBGU – German Advisory Council on Global Change (2011) Global megatrends. Factsheet 3/2011. https://www.wbgu.de/en/factsheets/factsheet-32011/. Accessed 20 Oct 2018
Wendle J (2016) Syria’s climate refugees. Sci Am 314(3):50–55
Woodward A, Hales S, de Wet N (2001) Climate change: potential effects on human health in New Zealand. Ministry for the Environment, Wellington
Zetter R (2007) More labels, fewer refugees: remaking the refugee label in an era of globalization. J Refug Stud 20(2):172–192
Zetter R (2017) Why they are not refugees – climate change, environmental degradation and population displacement. Siirtolaisuus-Migr Q 1(2017):23–28
Acknowledgments
Grateful acknowledgment for essential support is made to the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the development organization World Vision International (WVI).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Luetz, J.M. (2019). Climate Refugees: Why Measuring the Immeasurable Makes Sense Beyond Measure. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P., Wall, T. (eds) Climate Action. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71063-1_81-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71063-1_81-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71063-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71063-1
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences