Routledge Handbook of Climate Change and Society

Environmental factors can influence migration in complex and often nonlinear ways. The strength and direction of the relationship is shaped by economic, sociopolitical, environmental, and demographic conditions which moderate the extent to which households are exposed and vulnerable to climate impacts and their aspirations and capabilities. Importantly, not everyone affected by climatic stress is forced or decides to migrate, and many remain immobile for various reasons. In some cases, climatic factors can increase mobility constraints, potentially trapping populations in hazardous places. This may result in a vicious cycle of increased exposure and vulnerability and limited possibilities to escape from evolving threats. If they exert an influence, climatic factors typically have a stronger impact on internal as opposed to international migration. In many cases, migrants move towards urban centers, contributing to the rapid urbanization processes in some regions. Adaptive capacities can play an important role determining to what extent households are able to cope with and adapt to environmental stress in situ. Migration itself can represent a suitable way to adapt to climate change impacts, but it can come with significant challenges and risks for the migrants and their families. There is a need for holistic and integrated approaches in science and policy that consider the diverse impacts and complex channels of influence of climate change on migration and immobility, the moderating role of local contexts, and the interplay of different risk factors and drivers.