Understanding of environmental change as a driver of migration in Latin America through a systematic review of literature

Throughout the nineteenth century, the research production developed in migration studies considered the natural environment an important component influencing migration decisions. However, environmental factors as drivers of human mobilities diminished from the analyzes carried out during most of the twentieth century, supported by the emergence and growing interest in the economic paradigm in migration theory and justified in the rejection of natural determinism. The spread of discourses focused on climate change and its impacts led to the reappearance of the link between environmental transformations and migration, reflected in a significant increase in the documentary stock that addresses this topic. Even so, the production of empirical studies and theoretical proposals on environmental migrations reflects significant imbalances in favor of the wealthiest countries, with little development from and for some regions of the world, such as Latin America. This article aims to present a systematic review of the literature on migration influenced by environmental change, focused on Latin America, from 1980 to 2023. The literature review shows that the influence of environmental change on migratory dynamics depends significantly on the context. Besides, it is highlighted that although the number of papers on environmental migration in Latin America shows a significant increase, the research is generated chiefly in countries out of the region and concentrated in Mexico, Ecuador and Brazil, particularly in rural areas. Despite the progress in this matter, significant gaps remain to show the need to deepen the analysis and understanding of the migratory responses caused by environmental change.