Migration, mobility and climate change
This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 01 – No Poverty; SDG 02 – Zero Hunger; SDG 03 – Good Health & Wellbeing; SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities; SDG 15 – Life on land.
The relationship between migration, mobility and climate represents a complex and increasingly critical global challenge.
Climate change acts as both a direct and indirect driver of human migration. Sudden-onset climate events, such as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, can cause immediate displacement. Slow-onset changes, including sea-level rise, desertification, and changing precipitation patterns, gradually erode livelihoods and habitability, leading to longer-term migration decisions. The impact varies significantly by region and socioeconomic context.
Current research emphasizes several key aspects of this relationship. Scientists are developing more sophisticated models to predict climate-induced migration patterns, incorporating both environmental and socioeconomic variables. Policy researchers examine governance frameworks for managing climate mobility, including questions of legal protection for climate migrants and responsibility-sharing among nations. Urban planning researchers focus on preparing cities for climate-induced migration, examining infrastructure needs, social integration, and sustainable development in rapidly growing urban areas.
Looking forward, the relationship between climate, migration, and mobility will likely intensify. Rising temperatures and increasing frequency of extreme weather events may create new patterns of movement. This highlights the importance of developing comprehensive policy responses that address both immediate humanitarian needs and longer-term adaptation strategies.
Research is welcomed from a range of vantage points including:
- Anthropological perspectives
- Sociological analyses
- Political science and policy studies
- Environmental humanities
- Cultural studies
- Economic assessments
- Psychological research
- Critical geopolitical approaches
Scholarship is encouraged on pressing themes, including:
- Social implications of climate-induced migration
- Political discourse and rhetoric
- Public understanding and acceptance of climate-related migration
- Climate-induced displacement patterns in vulnerable regions
- Psychological impacts of forced environmental migration
- Economic resilience strategies for climate refugees
- Transnational policy frameworks addressing climate migration
- Indigenous communities’ adaptive migration responses
- Intersectional analyses of climate vulnerability and mobility
- Urban transformation and climate-driven internal migration
- Technology use in tracking and supporting climate migrants
- Modelling migration patterns
- Decision-making processes undertaken by climate migrants and consideration factors (e.g. economic, familial, etc.)
- Public health implications of climate-induced migration (e.g., disease transmission patterns, mental health impacts, and healthcare system pressures in both origin and destination areas
- Economic dimensions of climate migration (e.g. costs of displacement, labor market impacts, and investment required for adaptation)
- Climate immobility
Submitting a paper for consideration
To submit your manuscript for consideration at Humanities & Social Sciences Communications as part of this Collection, please follow the steps detailed on this page. On the first page of our online submission system, please select your article type from the drop down menu. When on the “details” tab, you will be presented with the option to select which Collection your article should be submitted to. Authors should also express their interest in the Collection in their cover letter.
Accepted papers are published on a rolling basis as soon as they are ready.
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