Original Language
English
Number of Pages
276
Reference Number
ENG0513
Date of upload

17 Jan 2017

Assessing the Climate Change Environmental Degradation and Migration Nexus in South Asia

South Asia, comprising eight countries including Bangladesh, Maldives and Nepal, is affected by a range of natural disasters including floods, glacial lake outburst floods, storm surges, droughts, cyclones and heavy precipitation. These disasters take a huge toll as they displace thousands of people every year. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has predicted that slow-onset and sudden-onset disasters will increase in severity and frequency, threatening lives and livelihoods across the region. To provide evidence to this issue and assess these trends, the International Organization for Migration has produced an assessment study on climate change, environmental degradation and migration in South Asia. The study contains a review of literature and policies, as well as findings from field research conducted in Bangladesh, Maldives and Nepal. To ensure that climate migration is comprehensively addressed, the study also contains model plans of action ‒ developed after a consultative process at the national level ‒ that can be implemented.

  • Acronyms and abbreviations 
  • Glossary
  • Executive summary
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Overview of the climate change, environmental degradation and migration nexus 
  • 3. Climate change, environment and migration in South Asia
    • 3.1 Background
    • 3.2 Existing policy directions and institutional arrangements on climate change, environmental degradation and migration aspects in South Asia
  • 4. Research framework and methodology
    • 4.1 Background, research questions and conceptual framework
    • 4.2 Research plan
    • 4.3 Limitations of the study
  • 5. The Bangladesh chapter – findings of the study
    • 5.1 Literature review on factors influencing migration in Bangladesh
    • 5.2 Migration trends in Bangladesh
    • 5.3 National policy and legal instruments related to climate change, environmental degradation and migration in Bangladesh
    • 5.4 Institutional arrangements to address climate change and natural disasters, environment and migration
    • 5.5 State of implementation of policy and legal instruments: gaps and the way forward to address the MECC nexus in Bangladesh
    • 5.6 Results of the primary data collection–Bangladesh 
    • 5.7 Conclusion and recommendations
  • 6. The Maldives chapter – findings of the study 
    • 6.1 Literature review on the climate change and environmental factors that affect Maldives
    • 6.2 Migration trends in the Maldives
    • 6.3 Displacement and planned relocation following the 2004 tsunami 
    • 6.4 Existing policy directions and institutional arrangements on climate change, environmental degradation and migration aspects 
    • 6.5 Results of the primary data collection–Maldives
    • 6.6 Conclusion and recommendations
  • 7. The Nepal chapter – findings of the study
    • 7.1 Literature review 
    • 7.2 Environmental hazards, disasters and climate change
    • 7.3 Forms and trends of migration
    • 7.4 Literature on the migration, environment and climate change nexus in Nepal
    • 7.5 Policy regime on climate change and migration
    • 7.6 Results from the primary data collection–Nepal
    • 7.7 Conclusion and recommendations
  • 8. Concluding analysis of the regional context
  • References
  • Annex 1 Overall Research Plan
  • Annex 2 Model National Plans of Action