The Concept of Climate Migration: Advocacy and its Prospects

Political narratives on climate or environmental migration have been deployed in support of policy arguments relating to humanitarian assistance, migration, and climate change, or to promote national security or economic interests. But while climate change certainly has various impacts on human mobility, it does not appear to create distinct “climate migrants” or (in general) unprecedented migration scenarios. In this timely book, Benoît Mayer offers a unique interdisciplinary inquiry into the prospects of different political narratives on climate migration.

The Concept of Climate Migration identifies the essential narratives around climate migration - the humanitarian narrative, the migration narrative and the climate change narrative - and assesses their prospects. It argues that although such arguments will influence global governance, they will not necessarily achieve what advocates hope for. Throughout the discussion, it appears that the weaknesses of the concept of “climate migration” are likely to be utilized in favour of repressive policies against migration or for the defence of industrial nations against perceived threats from the Third World.

This discerning book explores new paradoxes in political advocacy and relates them to some of the greatest challenges to contemporary global governance. It will be of great interest to researchers and postgraduate students interested in climate migration, climate change and the law, or anyone involved in advocacy around these important issues.