Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change on Mobility: Theoretical Insights and Interventions

The influence of climate change and the environmental hazards it produces, has become a central concern in current research on migration and mobility. Large-scale displacement has given rise to so-called “environmental refugees,” many of whom are unable to return to their places of origin. This is also accompanied by the loss of housing, livelihoods, and food sources that have profoundly affected many of these people. Indeed, climate change-induced migration is deeply intertwined with political and economic factors, which only intensified social inequalities and exacerbated the conditions of already vulnerable communities, especially in countries of the Global South.

Given this context, urgent questions arise: How do we mitigate the impact of natural disasters resulting from climate change as they affect large numbers of people and communities mostly in vulnerable regions of the Global South? What forms of interventions are necessary? In what ways can the social sciences work with data science and the physical sciences to offer and provide interventions and innovative solutions to this escalating crisis? This session invites papers that interrogate the impacts of climate change on human lives and mobility as well as suggest possible solutions addressing this. It also aims to encourage a re-thinking and a re-evaluation of current migration theories and concepts that examine this critical social issue.