A critical look at rural-urban migration in Sub-Saharan Africa in the era of climate change
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Date
2015-04-17
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University of Ghana
Abstract
Research shows significant association between the environment and
migration. The specific relationship between environmental changes
and migration is a recent study area. Environmental change impacts
have been explained as dependent on location and context, nature of
environmental change and dominant social structures driving
migration. Climate change and rural-urban migration in Africa is
gaining increased prominence in research circles. Recurrent themes
include food security, health, poverty, gender, vulnerability and
urbanization. Some analysts labeled the situation in Sudan's Darfur
region the "world's first climate change war" The term 'environmental
refugee' was first used by Lester Brown of World Watch Institute in the
1970s, however, environmental migrants are invisible in the international
system due to inadequate definition of environmental/climate-induced
migrants under international law. [t is estimated that 17
million people were displaced by natural hazards (including geophysical
events) in 2009 and 42 million in 2010.
Climate change effects are mostly felt among rural populations whose
livelihoods depend on natural resources and economies. A cross- country analysis of determinants of urbanization in SSA suggests
deteriorating rainfall conditions increase rural-urban migration.
Agricultural failure primarily harms the rural poor through food
insecurity and low income. Different coping strategies depend on
influencing factors such as demographic and economic what? The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identified climate change
as a growing crisis with the greatest single impact on human migration.
Migration in the face of global environmental change may be part
of the problem and also part of the solution. Global and localized
efforts are required to ensure environmental sustainability.
Description
School of social sciences colloquium
Keywords
Research, World Watch Institute, Climate change, rural-urban migration