Abstract
In many low-income countries, migrant remittances are essential in sustaining people’s livelihoods and become even more important during and after disasters. Researchers, policymakers, and practitioners increasingly emphasize the need to better support this people-based mechanism, so disaster risk can be reduced. This suggests the importance of understanding migrants’ perspectives on the remittance channels used and the challenges and opportunities of supporting remittances. However, such information is largely missing. Drawing on interviews and a focus group discussion carried out with Pacific Island migrants living in New Zealand, the article identifies the capacity of migrants to utilize different remittance channels and resources to assist those affected in their country of origin. Challenges faced include high transfer fees, lack of information and support from external stakeholders, and limited resources to effectively send both individual and collective remittances. The article concludes that there is a serious need to involve a large array of stakeholders in finding ways to better support remittances for disaster risk management, including migrants, government agencies, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and those receiving remittances.
Highlights
Remittances refer to the money and goods sent by migrants to their country of origin
Drawing on interviews and a focus group discussion carried out with Pacific Island migrants living in New Zealand, the article identifies the capacity of migrants to utilize different remittance channels and resources to assist those affected in their country of origin
While there were ‘‘only’’ 14,445 Fijian living in New Zealand in 2013, the Fijian ethnic group represents the biggest growth of Pacific Islanders in New Zealand, with an increase of 40.1% between 2001 and 2006 and 46.5% between 2006 and 2013
Summary
Remittances refer to the money and goods sent by migrants to their country of origin. Research emphasizes that remittances are important during disasters (Deshingkar and Aheeyar 2006; Lindley 2006) and play a significant role in people’s efforts to recover Remittances have monetary implications, but have emotional, psychological, social, and cultural implications as well (Vertovec 2001). These aspects are very important before, during, and in the aftermath of disasters. For these reasons, academics and practitioners increasingly emphasize the need to build on remittances for disaster risk management (DRM) Despite increasing evidence that remittances play a key role in people’s efforts to cope with and recover from disasters and the recognition that migrants should be involved in DRM, few measures and guidelines exist on how to better deal with remittances for DRM
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