Climate, conflict, migration

Abstract

In this article I refer to the complex relationship between climate change, conflict and migration, drawing on the new MedECC Expert Analysis on the Mediterranean.

Environmental change matters profoundly, but it does not operate in a social vacuum. Migration is also shaped by socio-economic conditions, inequality, vulnerability, governance and geopolitical forces. The evidence also points to important data gaps and the need for interdisciplinary research.

I argue that environmental policy therefore needs to engage not only with environmental science, but also with social and economic realities — and with people’s lived experiences.