{"id":268,"date":"2019-06-06T08:09:54","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T06:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chytramigrace.cz\/?p=268"},"modified":"2019-06-06T08:09:56","modified_gmt":"2019-06-06T06:09:56","slug":"does-climate-change-influence-peoples-migration-decisions-in-maldives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chytramigrace.cz\/index.php\/does-climate-change-influence-peoples-migration-decisions-in-maldives\/","title":{"rendered":"Does climate change influence people\u2019s migration decisions in Maldives?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Within our international team of\ncolleagues from University College London (UCL), UK; Univesity of Agder,\nNorway; Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany; Virginia\nCommonwealth University, USA; and Masaryk University in Brno we published the\npaper based on data from three independent field researches from various parts\nof the Maldives island state. This state is located in the Indian Ocean and is\none of four small and low-lying island countries (the other three are in the\nPacific), where the highest natural point above sea level is 2.4 meters! And\naccording to some scenarios published in the Intergovernmental Panel for\nClimate Change (IPCC), most populated areas should be flooded by sea level rise\nthe end of this century. However, before that, the Maldives will lose their\ndrinking water resources. In our field surveys, we focused on obtaining\ninformation about the perception of environmental changes in the local\npopulation and their impact in deciding whether or not to migrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The influence of climate change and\nperceptions of it on people\u2019s migration decisions has received significant\nprominence, especially for people living on low-lying islands. To contribute to\nthis literature, this paper uses Maldives as a case study for exploring the\nresearch question: How does climate change influence or not influence people\u2019s\nmigration decisions in Maldives? Previous work tends to start from a\ndisciplinary climate change perspective, while this study combines migration,\nmobility, and island studies perspectives, within which climate change sits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well, rather than focusing on the area around the capital, Mal\u00e9, as with many previous studies, the 113 interviews here were conducted in eight islands across three atolls. The method was qualitative, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews using purposive sampling of ordinary people. Contrary to a view of islanders preparing to flee their islands as \u201cclimate change refugees\u201d, the interviewees provided nuanced and varied responses. They rarely identified the potential of future impacts due to climate change as influencing their migration-related decisions. When migration was considered, it was chiefly internal movement seeking a better standard of living via improved services, better living conditions, and more job opportunities. If migration related to potential climate change impacts might happen, then it was assumed to be in the future for decisions then. This lack of influence of climate change-related perceptions on Maldivians\u2019 migration decisions fits well within island mobilities studies, from which climate change perspectives could adopt wider contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Link to article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n