Climatic and Environmental Change, Migration, and Health

Abstract

The impacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise and extreme weather events, are expected to increase and alter human migration and mobility. Climate-related mobility is not inherently a crisis; it can provide a pathway for adaptation to climate change. However, a growing body of research identifies health risks and some opportunities associated with climate-related mobility. This review examines recent research (published since 2018) on the climate change-mobility-health nexus; this research focuses largely on in-country mobility in Asia, Africa, and Pacific Island countries. It considers the links between human mobility and anthropogenic climate change and documents the findings of empirical research that addresses the health consequences of displacement, planned relocation, migration, and migration into sites of climate risk. The findings highlight the need for climate-sensitive and migrant-inclusive health care in a heating world.

Keywords: climate change; displacement; health; migration; mobility; relocation.