Does Drought Increase Migration? A Study of Migration from Rural Mali during the 1983–1985 Drought

Abstract

Using data from a longitudinal panel study conducted in 1982 and 1989 in the first region of Mali, this article demonstrates that the level of migration did not rise during the drought of 1983–1985. However, there was a dramatic increase in the migration of women and children during the severe 1983–1985 drought. Along with this increase in migration by women and children, there was a shift to short-cycle circulation, with 64 percent of the migrants adopting circular patterns. The study describes the characteristics of these migrants and recommends changes to development and migration policies that will facilitate such migrations in subsequent droughts.