Enhancing Adaptation Options and Managing Human Mobility: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Abstract

Enhancing adaptation options & managing human mobility in the context of climate change: Role of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change This paper presents new evidence from a study on the relationship between rainfall variability, food and livelihood insecurity, and human migration in 8 countries. The findings illustrate the importance of understanding how households use migration as a risk management strategy when faced with climatic stressors like changes in rainfall. The findings further point out four household profiles that help address the debate of the role that migration does or does not play in adaptation to climate change. The main findings show that while all communities surveyed use migration when faced with climatic stressors, those with “resilient” characteristics were able to benefit from the strategy. In contrast, those households which lacked such characteristics (such as access to land, education, social networks, formal and informal institutions) had migration outcomes that slowly deteriorated their development base and can be considered as “erosive coping strategies”. These insights raise issues about anticipatory movements (some beneficial and others problematic) as well as trapped populations. The paper concludes with a few reflections for adaptation and development policy.