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Climate change increases resource-constrained international immobility

Author

Listed:
  • Hélène Benveniste

    (Harvard University
    Harvard University)

  • Michael Oppenheimer

    (Princeton University
    Princeton University)

  • Marc Fleurbaey

    (Paris School of Economics/CNRS)

Abstract

Migration is a widely used adaptation strategy to climate change impacts. Yet resource constraints caused by such impacts may limit the ability to migrate, thereby leading to immobility. Here we provide a quantitative, global analysis of reduced international mobility due to resource deprivation caused by climate change. We incorporate both migration dynamics and within-region income distributions in an integrated assessment model. We show that climate change induces decreases in emigration of lowest-income levels by over 10% in 2100 for medium development and climate scenarios compared with no climate change and by up to 35% for more pessimistic scenarios including catastrophic damages. This effect would leave resource-constrained populations extremely vulnerable to both subsequent climate change impacts and increased poverty.

Suggested Citation

  • Hélène Benveniste & Michael Oppenheimer & Marc Fleurbaey, 2022. "Climate change increases resource-constrained international immobility," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(7), pages 634-641, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:12:y:2022:i:7:d:10.1038_s41558-022-01401-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-022-01401-w
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    2. Zongming Yang & Volodymyr Korobko & Mykola Radchenko & Roman Radchenko, 2022. "Improving Thermoacoustic Low-Temperature Heat Recovery Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-16, September.
    3. Emily C. Nabong & Aaron Opdyke & Jeffrey P. Walters, 2022. "Identifying leverage points in climate change migration systems through expert mental models," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 175(3), pages 1-23, December.

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