Climate Change

Biography

Biography: Elena Giacomelli

Abstract

Environmental migration has always been part of human history. The need for prompt actions to overcome the limitation is not due to its novelty, rather to scientific and empirical evidences on the current (and possibly future) effects that environmental change will have on people. In recent years, environmental change and natural hazards increased their intensity and frequency. In countries such as the Philippines and the Pacific Islands, where the environmental problems are categorized as existential and security threats, such challenges need to be tackled and solved in order not to become unmanageable issues. Current researches and work done on environmental migration demonstrate how this issue is still weakly conceptualize and contextualize. The main limitations are: firstly the lack of a common definition and reliable data; secondly the lack of a linkage between environmental change and internal migration in policies measures and practices; thirdly adaptation measures considered as the main (an only) strategy; and lastly the lack of adequate financial resources and operational capacities, especially in developing country such as the Philippines. There is a need to deepen and broaden the range of conceptual tools for researchers interested in the relationship between environmental change and mobility. In particular, in the international debate, there is still missing a clarification of terminology. It is important to underline how to overcome these limitations the measures proposed needs a holistic and simultaneous intervention both from the international community and national states, especially those considered as highly prone to environmental change and natural disasters. The role of this research is to be instrumental within the environmental migration discussion in order to find a way to include this issue inside the international and national political agenda. It is beyond the scope of this thesis to draw definitive conclusions on the nexus between environmental change and its consequent migration impact. Yet, this thesis can be regard as a starting point for potential future investigations on this still hidden phenomenon of migration due to environmental change.