Environmental Disasters and Migration

Linguere Mbaye and Klaus Zimmermann ()

No 9349, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper reviews the effect of environmental disasters on migration. Although there is an increase of environmental disasters and migration over the past years, the relationship is complex. While some authors find that environmental disasters increase migration, others show that they have only a marginal or no effect or are even negative. Migration appears to be an insurance mechanism against environmental shocks. Remittances help to decrease households' vulnerability to shocks but also dampen their adverse effects. Finally, we discuss policy implications and future research avenues.

Keywords: migration as insurance; remittances; forced migration; environmental shocks; floods; earthquakes; droughts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J61 O15 Q54 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 17 pages
Date: 2015-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env, nep-mig and nep-res
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Published - published as 'Natural Disasters and Human Mobility' in: International Review of the Environmental and Resource Economics, 2016, 10 (1), 37-56.

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