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Do Natural Hazards Cause International Migration?

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  • Jasmin Gröschl
  • Thomas Steinwachs

Abstract

The estimated amount of people affected by natural hazards stands at a staggering number of about 243 million people per year. While not all of the affected move across borders, international migration potentially provides an adaptation mechanism to natural hazards. The aim of this article is to assess whether natural hazards induce international migration from a macro perspective. We construct a stylized theoretical gravity model of migration that includes hazards as random shocks. To estimate this model, we deploy exogenous data on geological anzd meteorological hazards from 1980 to 2010. We combine these data with the World Bank’s Global Bilateral Migration Database. Overall, our results suggest little evidence that natural hazards affect medium- to long-run international migration. However, considering heterogeneity across income groups, we find that particularly middle-income countries experience significant push and pull effects on migration from natural hazards.

Suggested Citation

  • Jasmin Gröschl & Thomas Steinwachs, 2017. "Do Natural Hazards Cause International Migration?," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 63(4), pages 445-480.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:cesifo:v:63:y:2017:i:4:p:445-480.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/cesifo/ifx005
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    natural hazards; international migration; gravity model; heterogeneity across income groups;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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