Description
The Climate Migration Nexus presents a phenomenon which is multifaceted, complex by nature which blurs the traditional classifications of migration. Those who face climate change and human mobility can observe conflated experiences, where disasters are exacerbated by socioeconomic and political factors, or where individuals actively choose to leave because conditions worsen .There is a divide in the literature in how researchers, policymakers and locals talk about climate change-induced migration and displacement. Specifically, there are inconsistencies in how to describe these affected populations as either being a ‘climate refugee,’ or the ‘climate migrant.’ Whereas concepts of refugee status are rejected by scholars, suggesting that it is widely inconsistent with migration in various regions and the local narratives of climate change. Which begs questions, of power and agency, and perhaps fear of a failing framework and the connotations the term ‘refugee’ entail. Despite this, research favouring the term migration still indicates a generalisation of experiences, often leaving out the perspectives of those most vulnerable and most affected.
This paper asserts how these distinctions in language, which seep into regional policies and international frameworks, are inherently tied to narratives; how there is a lack of empirical research which considers the narratives and perspectives of local affected populations directly, and how this serves to disconnect local perspectives and adaptive strategies to climate migration policy development. This paper will draw out the critical complexities of this phenomenon and the language surrounding the discourse, whilst advocating for more empirical research on local perspectives —engaging those on the frontline of climate change about the deterioration of their environment.
