Challenges and opportunities of temporary labor migration programs for climate adaptation: lessons from Qatar and South Asia

Michael Ewers, Mohsin Raza and Deborah S.K. Thomas

Chapter 2 in Handbook of Labour Mobility, 2026, pp 21-33 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: International labor migration supports household livelihoods and climate adaptation in poor countries, primarily through financial and social remittances. Recently, global crises and shocks have also shown the importance of temporary labor migration for the global economy and disaster response in rich countries. Yet, while temporary labor migration programs (TLMPs) facilitate global labor mobility, they also leave migrant workers vulnerable and without access to citizenship or social protection. Therefore, focusing on the Gulf Arab state of Qatar and its kafala migration regime, this chapter examines the challenges and opportunities that TLMPs present as vehicles for climate adaptation, in both sending and receiving country contexts. We use a case study approach to examine Qatar's migration regime's response to three recent crises – the COVID-19 pandemic, the Qatar–Saudi diplomatic rift, and the FIFA World Cup – in order to evaluate how it might perform during future climate shocks.

Keywords: Temporary Labor Migration Programs; Kafala; Gulf States; Qatar; Climate Adaptation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035331680
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