Editor’s choice
This study examines the nexus between climate change, migration and conflict within Asia, with particular attention to Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, the three Asian countries where the Danish Refugee Council is currently active, as well as the experiences of Afghans in Pakistan, Iran and Turkey, and of Rohingya people in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
Climate change is often described as a “threat multiplier” that intensifies human insecurity and can thus lead to conflicts as well as migration. The interconnections between climate change, conflict and migration are complex and dynamic, however, with no simple line of causality.
Climate and other environmental factors cannot be isolated from the many social, economic and political factors that, together, can spur conflicts and/or lead people to migrate. Climate change clearly does compound pre-existing vulnerabilities, however, and migrants and people in conflict-affected areas are often among the most vulnerable to climate impacts.
These complexities are very evident in Asia, where conflict situations are widespread, and where social and economic inequalities, persecution, and human rights violations coincide with a high exposure to climate impacts and disaster risks. Indeed, Asia is the most disaster-prone region in the world, and it has experienced more climate-related displacement than anywhere else, mainly around extreme events.
The aim of this report is to provide insights for policy-makers, international organizations, humanitarian groups and others who wish to reduce human suffering and achieve more just outcomes.
Other publication / This chapter of the Routledge Handbook of Immigration and Refugee Studies focuses on environmental change and migration.
Feature / This episode explores the overlooked gendered burden of care work during crises and emphasize the pressing need for equitable and inclusive disaster response.
Media coverage / SEI Research Fellow Sara Vigil talks to PBS News Hour on how climate change affects migration.
