Exploring the link between climate change and migration

Previous research has postulated that climate change will lead to mass migration. However, the linkages postulated between the two have not been explicitly demonstrated but have rather been derived from ‘common sense'. In this paper, the connection between climate change and migration via two mechanisms, sea level rise and floods, is investigated and depicted in conceptual models. In both cases, a connection can be traced and the linkages are made explicit. However, the study also clearly shows that the connection is by no means deterministic but depends on numerous factors relating to the vulnerability of the people and the region in questio

Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Economic Growth in Developing Asia

Global sea level rise (SLR) variations have undeniably begun to make an impact on highly vulnerable economies. These impacts of SLR are a key component of the projected economic damage of climate change, an important input to climate change policies and adaptive measures. This paper considers SLR projections and its impact on the economy and includes a consolidation of various related studies. Estimated global gross domestic product (GDP) loss by 2100 ranges from 0.3% to as high as of 9.3% (Hinkel et al. 2014; Pycroft, Abrell, and Ciscar 2015). Climate change impact should be addressed at the global level through a locally focused effort where education and acceptance by all stakeholders are crucial and warranted. Further, this paper tackles several adaptive strategies as a response to SLR which include retreat, accommodation, and protection. The retreat strategy simulates that SLR causes the loss of inundated land and incurs planned relocation (migration) costs above a certain sea level. The accommodation strategy allows usage of vulnerable areas or land and limits damage by floodproofing or raising structures. Finally, the protection strategy projects that land will be protected from SLR damage by sea walls or other barriers of a certain height. On the other hand, Diaz (2016) estimates a median adaptation cost from migration at 16% of GDP under the least-cost strategy by 2050. In general, the education of and the acceptance by the concerned local community will be crucial in the successful implementation of SLR adaptation strategies, notwithstanding parallel mitigation efforts on a global scale

The vulnerability of beach tourism to climate change: An index approach

ISSN:0165-0009ISSN:1573-148

Exploring the link between climate change and migration

ISSN:0165-0009ISSN:1573-148

Climate Change and the Pacific Islands

Climate change has been recognized as one of the most critical and controversial issues facing the world in the twenty-first century. It is predicted to lead to adverse and irreversible impacts on the earth and ecosystems as a whole. This chapter discusses the causes of climate change and current and potential impacts that will affect the people now and in the coming decades while providing a comprehensive account of how Pacific Island nations face challenges from climate change-related impacts. Global warming, sea-level rise, changing weather patterns and extreme events, pressure on water and food security, human health risks, and impacts on wildlife and ecosystems are considered as major impacts of climate change. Pacific Island countries register the greatest negative impacts of climate change even though they account for only 0.03% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Current and projected climate change poses a set of fundamental challenges to the local economy and livelihoods, resulting in human mobility and cross-border displacement and migration. The dispersed nature and heterogeneity of the Pacific Island countries presents special challenges for localized climate projections and adaptation strategies. Effective adaptation measures and policies to climate change impacts in the Pacific Islands should acknowledge their unique environmental and cultural characteristics