Changing Climate, Changing Migration

Migration Policy Institute
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Changing Climate, Changing Migration

The consequences of global climate change are affecting the way people live, work, and move around the planet. Events such as catastrophic storms, encroaching deserts, and rising seas are making some communities increasingly unlivable and posing challenges to livelihoods. There is no clear, direct line between the impacts of climate change and changing human movement. But there are indications that the warming planet is indirectly creating or altering patterns of migration. Changing Climate, Changing Migration dives deep into the intersection of climate change and migration to separate fact from fiction and trace out the complicated ways in which climate change affects migrants, refugees, and communities—and their adaptations and other responses. Send any questions or comments to info@migrationpolicy.org.

  1. 15 NOV

    The Reverse of Climate Migration: Should There Be a Right Not to Be Displaced amid Climate Change?

    The international humanitarian protection system that was built in the aftermath of World War II does not offer protection for people displaced by climate change. In this episode, former UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees T. Alexander Aleinikoff, who is now Executive Dean of The New School for Social Research, calls the refugee system “broken.” Rather than expanding to accommodate “climate refugees,” he makes the case for starting over with a new paradigm focused on a right not to be displaced. Such a system would be designed to help people stay in their homes through climate adaptations and resilience, he argues, and provide a mechanism for seeking justice.

    24 min

  2. 4 OCT

    How We Talk about Climate Migration Shapes Treatment of “Climate Refugees”

    The ways in which people talk about climate migration can affect how individuals are treated. While many activists frame climate migrants as blameless victims of circumstance and even refer to them as “climate refugees,” this approach does not always lead to public sympathy. Moreover, highlighting the role of climate in displacement can unintentionally cause a backlash among host communities, who themselves likely are experiencing or expecting to face similar environmental challenges. In this episode, we speak with Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan, who is deputy director of MPI's International Program and our in-house expert on public opinion and migration messaging, about the narratives and public attitudes towards climate migrants.

    23 min

  3. 3 SEPT

    A Warm Embrace in the Cold North? Climate Migration in Nordic Countries

    The Arctic region is warming much faster than other parts of the world. Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden—have a reputation for being at the forefront of efforts to combat climate change. But does their track record also extend to helping people who have been displaced by environmental impacts, internally and internationally? In this episode, we discuss the impacts and responses in the Nordic region. Our guests are the researchers Miriam Cullen and Matthew Scott, who are among the leaders of the Nordic Network on Climate Related Displacement and Mobility.

    40 min

  4. 23 JUL

    "Coolcations” and “Last-Chance Tourism”: How Climate Change Is Upending Vacation Planning

    Climate change is remaking vacations, particularly in hot months. Extreme heat can be deadly for tourists and events such as wildfires, hurricanes, and sea-level rise can devastate tourism-dependent communities. Tourism is also a major contributor to climate change, and some travelers have begun rethinking their plans, taking emissions into account as they consider transportation and destinations. This episode explores how climate change is affecting global tourism. Our guest is Daniel Scott, research chair at the University of Waterloo’s Department of Geography and Environmental Management and an international research fellow at the School of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of Surrey.

    25 min

  5. 26 JUN

    What Brazil’s Disastrous Flooding Says about Climate Displacement Trends

    Floods and other fast-moving natural disasters are becoming more common and more severe because of climate change. When these disasters strike, they can displace huge numbers of people. This episode turns to Brazil, where historic flooding in 2024 forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. Our guest is Valéria Emília de Aquino, a human-rights lawyer and researcher in Brazil.

    29 min

  6. 31 MAY

    Migration, Climate Change, and Security in the Pacific

    The U.S. military has long warned that climate change poses a challenge to global security. Instability and insecurity can be a result of unmanaged migration, with the potential for widespread climate displacement creating tensions in host communities. And they could also spark additional migration, if people flee precarious political dynamics. This episode, with Climate Migration Council member and retired U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Scott H. Swift, evaluates the security dynamics of climate change and migration, focusing on the Pacific.

    26 min

  7. 26 APR

    Confronting the Ethical Questions around Climate Change and Migration

    Do countries that are major polluters have a moral responsibility to aid people displaced by hurricanes, sea-level rise, and other events driven or exacerbated by climate change? What form might that responsibility take? For this episode, we are joined by Jamie Draper, who focuses on political philosophy and ethics at Utrecht University. While he argues that certain countries do have a responsibility to aid displaced people, labeled “climate migrants” by some, in his view that does not necessarily translate to offering them protection.

    29 min

  8. 26 MAR

    Could a Loss and Damage Fund Compensate Climate Migrants?

    The world is grappling with the idea of restitution for people who have been negatively affected by the impacts of climate change—potentially including displacement within a country or across international borders. World leaders are at the early stages of creating a global loss and damage fund to financially compensate these climate victims. Much remains unresolved, including complicated and controversial questions about which countries owe money to whom, and how to attach a dollar figure to intangible losses such as destruction of natural land. In this episode, we speak with Adelle Thomas from Climate Analytics to wade through the thicket of challenges ahead, in particular as relates to climate migrants—those displaced by hostile environmental conditions linked to a rapidly changing climate.

    26 min
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About

The consequences of global climate change are affecting the way people live, work, and move around the planet. Events such as catastrophic storms, encroaching deserts, and rising seas are making some communities increasingly unlivable and posing challenges to livelihoods. There is no clear, direct line between the impacts of climate change and changing human movement. But there are indications that the warming planet is indirectly creating or altering patterns of migration. Changing Climate, Changing Migration dives deep into the intersection of climate change and migration to separate fact from fiction and trace out the complicated ways in which climate change affects migrants, refugees, and communities—and their adaptations and other responses. Send any questions or comments to info@migrationpolicy.org.

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