Applying Insights of Theories of Migration to the Study of Environmental Migration Aspirations

Abstract

AbstractThe growing interest in environmental migration has led to a wide range of organisations raising awareness on this topic. Politicians and policymakers, for instance, are using arguments that reference environmental migration in their political discourses or increasingly reflect on how to manage this seemingly emerging trend. The rise of this topic on ‘the agenda’ of policymakers, politicians, non-governmental organisations, and artists, to name a few, immediately calls for some scientific support, framing, or input, which is suddenly in high demand. Also, from a scientific perspective, how people are dealing with ongoing and increasing environmental changes lays bare existing social, ethnic, and gender inequalities. To be specific, when studying environmental changes and disasters, more knowledge can be derived about a society’s social and economic structure, relationship dynamics, and the nature of its adaptation capacity. Additionally, more knowledge can be gained about how external communities or countries are related to the studied society (Oliver-Smith 1999).