THE NEXUS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND MIGRATION

Year 2019, Volume: 6 Issue: 12, 309 - 334, 26.12.2019

Sanem Özer , Senem Atvur

Abstract

International system has been facing a plethora of challenges
at the beginning of the 21st century. Climate change and migration are among
the crucial problems threatening the integrity of the system. Moreover,
environmental and humanitarian crisis have been triggered due to the global and
transboundary effects of climate change and migration.  This study argues that the nexus of climate
change and migration is one great issue that requires the state to adopt a new governance
approach to tackle with these problems. In this context, the study focuses on the
different terms used in migration literature and the conceptualisation of interrelation
between migration and climate change. The study aims to reveal vital problems
by examining some hotspots where the migration flows happen as a result of
climate change and impacts. However, the study considers the potential positive
effects of migration, as well. It is argued that for the state to
respond to the crises caused by the climate change induced migration, it should
adapt itself to the new conditions. This study defends that the state should
take more responsibility to mitigate the core impacts of climate change and it
should also integrate the civil society into the decision-making process
without excluding the migrants.

Keywords

Migration, Climate Change, State, Governance

THE NEXUS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND MIGRATION

Abstract

International system has been facing a plethora of
challenges since the beginning of the 21st century. Climate change and
migration are among the crucial problems threatening the integrity of the
system. Moreover, environmental and humanitarian crises have been triggered due
to the global and transboundary effects of climate change and migration. This
study argues that the nexus of climate change and migration is one great issue
that requires the state to adopt a new governance approach to tackle with these
problems. In this context, the study focuses on the different terms used in
migration literature and the conceptualization of interrelation between
migration and climate change with a descriptive method. The study aims to
reveal vital problems by examining some hotspots where the migration flows
happen as a result of climate change and its impacts. However, the study
considers the potential positive effects of migration, as well. It is argued
that for the state to respond to the crises caused by the climate
change-induced migration, it should adapt itself to the new conditions. This
study provides a normative approach that the state should take more
responsibility to mitigate the core impacts of climate change and it should
also integrate the civil society into the decision-making process without
excluding the migrants.

Keywords

Göç, İklim Değişikliği, Devlet, Yönetim

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