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238 A.Heslinet al.
displacementrelatedto theadverse impactsofclimatechange”(UNFCCC2017). In
addressingtheroleofclimatechangeindisplacement,onemustidentifythewaysthat
factors pertaining to environmental change generally drivemigration, as this rela-
tionshipwillbecomeall themoreimportantandcomplexwithclimatechange(IOM
2017b).This chapter addresses theways that thenatural environment relates to the
globalflowofpeople (Bettini andAndersson2014;Bates2002;DunandGemenne
2008).Inaddressingthisrelationshipbetweentheenvironmentanddisplacement,we
first outline theprimarydebateswithin the environmental displacement andmigra-
tionliterature,aswellaschallengesinthereceptionofmigrants inhostcommunities
andnations.Usingcasesofclimate-relateddisplacement,wethenhighlightthecom-
plexityof the social effectsof environmental factors and theprocessofmigration.
10.2 DefiningandMeasuringMigration
Thecomplexityof environmentalmigrationbeginswith theprocessof settingcon-
crete, agreed upon definitions, however, defining and subsequentlymeasuring the
process of environmental migration is not uniform throughout the literature (Dun
andGemenne2008).
10.2.1 Definitions
Tounderstand thevariousmeansbywhichonecandefineenvironmentalmigration,
wemay start byunderstanding thebroader categories used todescribe populations
outside theirhabitualplaceof residence, includingmigrant, refugee,asylumseeker,
and internally displacedperson. In general, onemayclassify a person in these dif-
ferentcategoriesbasedonthecircumstancesof their leavingtheirplaceofresidence
andthedestinationoftheirmovement(outlinedinFig.10.1).AccordingtotheInter-
nationalOrganizationforMigration,migrantisthemostgeneralterm,encompassing
any personwho “hasmoved across an international border orwithin a State away
from his/her habitual place of residence” (IOM2018). By this definition, anyone
who falls within our matrix outlined in Fig. 10.1 is a migrant, but depending on
the circumstances of theirmovement,more precise labels and terminology can be
used to describe them.For instance, if oneflees across an international border due
toa“well-foundedfearofbeingpersecutedfor reasonsof race, religion,nationality,
membership of a particular social group or political opinion,” they can be further
classifiedasarefugeeorasylum-seeker(UN1951). Inaddition,onewhoisforcedto
fleetheirhome,buthasnotcrossedaninternationalborderisconsideredaninternally
displacedperson (IDP) (IOM2017c;UN1998).
While the IOMdefinitionsof refugeesand IDPsareconsistentwithUNconven-
tions, thedefinitionofmigrantusedby the IOMdiffers fromthatof theUN,which
uses amore narrow definition ofmigrant. According to theUN, amigrant is one
Loss and Damage from Climate Change
Concepts, Methods and Policy Options
- Title
- Loss and Damage from Climate Change
- Subtitle
- Concepts, Methods and Policy Options
- Authors
- Reinhard Mechler
- Laurens M. Bouwer
- Thomas Schinko
- Swenja Surminski
- JoAnne Linnerooth-Bayer
- Publisher
- Springer Open
- Date
- 2019
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-319-72026-5
- Size
- 16.0 x 24.0 cm
- Pages
- 580
- Keywords
- Environment, Climate change, Environmental law, Environmental policy, Risk management
- Categories
- International
- Naturwissenschaften Umwelt und Klima