Assessing different climate migration frameworks and its applicability to rural migration in Ghana

Abstract

Various theoretical frameworks have been developed to understand environment-induced migration patterns and to explain the underlying factors. In this presentation, we compare multiple frameworks for climate mobility including the Environmental Migration Frameworks, Push-Pull Theory, Aspiration and Capabilities Theory, and the Risk Assessment concept. The Environmental Migration Framework emphasizes that migration is indirectly affected by climate change because it depends on existing conditions such as economic, demographic, social, political, and environmental factors. The Push-Pull Theory, on the other hand, concentrates on the negative aspects (push) of the place of origin and the positive factors (pull) of the destination. The Aspirations and Capabilities Theory focuses on individual agency, with migration potential influenced by aspirations, education, capabilities, financial resources, and legal constraints. The Risk Assessment concept developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) involves a combination of hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and coping capacity of individuals or communities. In order to test the applicability of these frameworks and to illustrate the diverse range of factors influencing the relationship between climate change and migration, we apply them conceptually to the context of rural migration in Ghana. Rural migration in Ghana is mainly impacted by environmental change, economic opportunities, and social aspirations. This presentation emphasizes that while these frameworks potentially can be useful for analyzing climate migration, adapting them to specific contexts requires careful consideration of data availability. For example, spatially-explicit data on livelihoods, aspirations, and resources are not always easily available and/or accessible for a specific case study. Overall, this conceptual comparison is intended to provide a better overview of already established frameworks related to the climate-migration nexus and their operationalization to a specific case study.