Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Climate migration myths

Misleading claims about mass migration induced by climate change continue to surface in both academia and policy. This requires a new research agenda on ‘climate mobilities’ that moves beyond simplistic assumptions and more accurately advances knowledge of the nexus between human mobility and climate change.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Nash, S. L. Glob. Policy 9, 53–63 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Boas, I. Climate Migration and Security: Securitisation as a Strategy in Climate Change Politics (Routledge, 2015).

  3. Betts, A. & Pilath, A. J. Int. Relat. Dev. 20, 782–804 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Piguet, E., Kaenzig, R. & Guélat, J. Popul. Environ. 39, 357–383 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2018–2020 Part 12—Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials (European Commission, 2018); https://go.nature.com/31Upkvp

  6. DRS-22-2015—Ethical/Societal Dimension Topic 3: Impact of Climate Change in Third Countries on Europe’s Security (CORDIS, European Commission, 2015); https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/rcn/665095/en

  7. Trombetta, M. J. Crit. Stud. Secur. 2, 131–147 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. National Security Implications of Climate-Related Risks and a Changing Climate RefID 8–6475571 (United States Department of Defense, 2015); https://go.nature.com/2obMFuL

  9. Suliman, S. Globalizations 13, 638–652 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Black, R. et al. Glob. Environ. Change 21, S3–S11 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Foresight: Migration and Global Environmental Change (UK Government Office for Science, 2011); https://go.nature.com/31A0Xmr

  12. Gemenne, F. Glob. Environ. Change 21, S41–S49 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Wiegel, H., Boas, I. & Warner, J. WIRes Clim. Change https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.610 (2019).

  14. Sakdapolrak, P. et al. Erde 147, 81–94 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Urry, J. Mobilities (Polity, 2007).

  16. Missirian, A. & Schlenker, W. Science 358, 1610–1614 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Arnall, A., Hilson, C. & McKinnon, C. Clim. Policy 19, 665–671 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Foner, N. & Simon, P. (eds) Fear, Anxiety, and National Identity: Immigration and Belonging in North America and Western Europe (Russell Sage Foundation, 2015).

  19. Baldwin-Edwards, M., Blitz, B. K. & Crawley, H. J. Ethn. Migr. Stud. 45, 2139–2155 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research under grant no. VENI 451‐16‐030 and the Wageningen University Department of Social Sciences Excellence Fund.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ingrid Boas.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Boas, I., Farbotko, C., Adams, H. et al. Climate migration myths. Nat. Clim. Chang. 9, 901–903 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0633-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0633-3

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing