Local Expert Perceptions of Migration as a Climate Change Adaptation in Bangladesh

Abstract

Abstract:People have long migrated for many reasons, often with a combination of forced and voluntary reasons combining to push them away from current situations and to pull them towards new situations. Bangladesh is one example where environmental changes have long been amongst the multitude of reasons for migrating, with contemporary climate change suggested as a major impetus towards more migration. This paper examines local expert perceptions of migration as a climate change adaptation strategy for Bangladeshis. Seventeen in-depth interviews were conducted with local experts in Bangladesh and Assam (India) on environmental change and migration to understand the perspectives of those with formal education and expert-related jobs who come from the areas being directly affected by Bangladeshi migration. Findings show that local experts consider that migration is used and will be used for climate change adaptation in Bangladesh, but migration is not solely for climate change adaptation, instead interweaving with all other factors influencing migration-related decisions.

Climate change, migration and human rights in Bangladesh: Perspectives on governance

“…They consider that people not necessarily adopt migration as a coping mechanism in the first instance, while primarily they try to survive within their best ability. The decision is not always exclusively because of climate change adaptations, rather other interrelated factors influence the decisions (Stojanov et al, 2016). The decision is not always exclusively because of climate change adaptations, rather other interrelated factors influence the decisions (Stojanov et al, 2016).…”

“…On Stojanov et al (2016) find that local experts in Bangladesh consider migration a viable adaptation strategy to climate change, although it is not exclusively an adaptation strategy (World Bank, 2018). In recent years, in response to growing climate change effects in Bangladesh, experts highlighted the idea of 'transforming migration into a logical and legitimate livelihood diversification strategy' as opposed to a more static approach of trying to improve coping in current locations to current climate conditions (Foresight, 2011).…”

“…Environmental disasters adversely put stress and shocks on human life and affect livelihoods (Ayeb-Karlsson et al, 2016;Stojanov et al, 2016;Gemenne and Blocher, 2017). Traditionally, it is widely believed that DRR and adaptation are some of the effective ways to manage people affected by environmental stresses (Ayeb-Karlsson et al, 2016).…”

“…The decision to migrate short or long term, temporary or permanently depends on various 'subjective and nonenvironmental factors' (Gemenne and Blocher, 2017: 338). The decision is not always exclusively because of climate change adaptations, rather other interrelated factors influence the decisions (Stojanov et al, 2016). The empirical study done by Ayeb-Karlsson et al (2016: 692) on the impact of environmental stresses on human livelihood found that sometimes 'adaptation strategies fail', and in this situation migration itself can be considered 'a successful adaptation strategy'.…”

“…In recent years, in response to growing climate change effects in Bangladesh, experts highlighted the idea of 'transforming migration into a logical and legitimate livelihood diversification strategy' as opposed to a more static approach of trying to improve coping in current locations to current climate conditions (Foresight, 2011). On Stojanov et al (2016) find that local experts in Bangladesh consider migration a viable adaptation strategy to climate change, although it is not exclusively an adaptation strategy (World Bank, 2018).…”