Hi, Eberhad Weber,

in my opinion, both: climate change migration does not exist as migration has many causes and climate change is a way of adaptation.

Regards,

Seherzada

Well, I agree with earlier commenters that migration in itself has varied causes, most of which are not stirred up by any climate change adaptation initiatives. Yet, there can instances where the adverse effects of climate change in particular regions may preempt the total migration of people from their residential sites for a period or perpetually as a remediation or adaptation strategy for any projected climate change adversity.

Considering migration as one of the possible adaptation measures to climate impacts is not about claiming that migration is a panacea. It is very clear that there are many challenges associated with the uncontrolled movement of people, such as creating additional strain on overstretched infrastructures or increasing pressure on inadequate social services provision. What we argue is that many of these challenges can be reduced through well-designed policies. With the right policies, we can prevent forced migration linked to climate degradation and protect the most vulnerable. People are already moving due to climate impacts on an ad hoc basis. Understanding what policy frameworks can achieve – or not – is key to ensure that people retain an element of choice and dignity in their migration journey in a changing climate.

https://weblog.iom.int/migration-adaptation-strategy-climate-change

Migration need not adapt to climate change, but the latter can be one of the causes of migration. You seem to be referring to human migration. Animal migration could be very different. Humans can avoid the hazards of environment through technology, but animals are handicapped in this context, in spite of biological similarities.

I would say that migration is the last resort for people affected by CC. So it means the previous adaptation activities have failed, and yet there is hope for adaptation!

I think both.

Migration can be understood as a response to an event that externally pushes a vulnerable system to move (Meze-hausken, 2000; Laforge and McLeman, 2013; Mearns and Norton, 2010); also, as a result of a failure in the local efforts to adapt and a failure in the development model (Bierman and Boas, 2010); as well as a process that can be linear (cause –effect) or recurrent (circular process) driving by climate change; also, as a result or as a part in the adaptation process to climate change (Mcleman and Hunter, 2010; Betzold, 2015).

A discussion paper written by Upadhyay and Mohan (2014) highlights multiple points about migration and climate change including: 1) climate change emerges as a new driver for forced and voluntary migration; hence, there is a need to understand whether people are unwilling to move from risky regions, and if not, what should adaptation strategies incorporate to enable them to leave their lives in places they call home. 2) successful adaptive-migration includes the study of people vulnerabilities, needs of adaptation, perception of risk,and the attitudes towards to climate risk. And 3) adaptive-migration cannot be considered successful if it damages people’s traditions, knowledge, social orders, identities, and material cultures.

Ultimately, Farbokto and Lazrus (2012) claim the the necessity to hear the affected people instead of only using the outsiders view to understand climate change and mobility practices.

I would see it as an adaptation measure.

For some people, e.g. inhabitants of South Pacific Islands that are only a foot or so above sea level, migration is their only hope when ocean levels rise due to the melting of polar ice as a result of global warming.

“Southern Italy (Mezzogiorno), the source of more than 75 percent of immigration to the United States, was an impoverished region possessing a highly stratified, virtually feudal society... Angelo Pellegrini, who became a successful immigrant, remembered his sharecropping family: "The central, dominating fact of our existence was continuous, inadequately rewarded labor.... Education beyond the third grade was out of the question.... At eight or nine years of age, if not sooner, the peasant child is old enough to bend his neck to the yoke and fix his eyes upon the soil in which he must grub for bread. I did not know it then, but I know it now, that is a cruel, man-made destiny from which there is yet no immediate hope of escape." (Angelo Pellegrini,Immigrant's Return.New York: Macmillan, 1952; pp. 11, 21.)

The impact of unification on the South was disastrous. The new constitution heavily favored the North, especially in its tax policies, industrial subsidies, and land programs. The hard-pressed peasantry shouldered an increased share of national expenses, while attempting to compete in markets dominated more and more by outside capitalist intrusions. These burdens only exacerbated existing problems of poor soil, absentee landlords, inadequate investment, disease, and high rates of illiteracy.

An exodus of southerners from the peninsula began in the 1880s. Commencing in the regions of Calabria, Campania, Apulia, and Basilicata, and spreading after 1900 to Sicily, Italian emigration became a torrent of humanity. From 1876-1924, more than 4.5 million Italians arrived in the United States, and over two million came in the years 1901-1910 alone. Despite these massive numbers, it should be noted that roughly two-thirds of Italian migration went elsewhere, especially to Europe and South America. Immigration to the United States before and after this period accounted for approximately one million additional arrivals—a considerable movement in its own right—but the era of mass migration remains central to the Italian immigrant experience”.

https://www.everyculture.com/multi/Ha-La/Italian-Americans.html

The exodus of people from the Pacific islands into Australia and elsewhere is the result of the low elevation of the islands and the higher level of the ocean - it can only get worse with time, so no future there.

However, the migration into Europe from Middle East and Africa is due to the conflicts and war-like conditions, lack of jobs, etc, but not to climate change.

We haven't seen large-scale migrations due to higher sea-level, increase in heat waves, stronger hurricanes, more frequent flooding and the like, although some migration out from India into North America may be caused partly by some of the effects of climate change.