Rethinking climate migration in sub-Saharan Africa from the perspective of tripartite drivers of climate change

Abstract

There is limited attention on climate change (CC) and human migration among scholars and policymakers. Meanwhile, natural disasters are projected to induce migration in the coming years which will affect millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In this review, we contribute to climate migration literature by highlighting three important factors (i.e. floods, droughts, and sea-level rise) that predispose migrants in SSA to migrate. The review suggests that the environmental impact of CC in SSA cannot be overlooked. For example, the review discovered that the impact of flooding has intensified, and its impact on agriculture will affect rural–urban migration, forcing farmers to look for alternative job opportunities. Moreover, due to the lack of rainfall to support agricultural activities, the option of migrating away from agriculture and settling in urban areas becomes a possible coping strategy. Rising sea level will adversely affect many, due to a lack of adaptive capacity and emergency preparedness. This should concern policymakers because the major trend in migration, whether climate-related or not, is a movement from rural to urban areas which poses significant challenges to urban sustainability and climate resilience. Given the impact of floods, droughts, and sea-level rise in SSA, we propose the promotion of adaptive capacity through the encouragement of climate insurance programme which is limited in SSA, alternative livelihood opportunity programmes, and providing financial resources for climate adaptation initiatives.