Climate Displacement

Climate change is causing patterns of displacement around the world, such as extreme weather events, environmental degradation, sea level rise, and coastal erosion. This book develops a political theory of climate displacement that examines the moral and political problems raised by the interaction of climate change and displacement in five domains: community relocation, territorial sovereignty, labor migration, refugee movement, and internal displacement. It treats climate displacement as a unified phenomenon and explores the overarching questions of responsibility and fairness that it raises.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 17 November 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Climate change is causing significant disruptions to patterns of displacement worldwide. Extreme weather events, environmental degradation, rising sea levels, and coastal erosion are forcing communities to relocate, posing threats to food and resource security and amplifying the sources of political instability. Climate displacement, which occurs when people are forced to move due to the impacts of climate change, is a pressing moral challenge that requires our immediate attention.

This book develops a political theory of climate displacement that aims to address the complexity and heterogeneity of this phenomenon. Instead of focusing solely on idealized climate refugees, it takes an empirical approach to understanding climate displacement. It examines the moral and political problems raised by the interaction of climate change and displacement in five key domains: community relocation, territorial sovereignty, labor migration, refugee movement, and internal displacement.

In each of these domains, climate displacement presents unique challenges that require careful consideration. For example, community relocation involves the displacement of entire populations due to environmental threats, while territorial sovereignty concerns the rights and claims of affected communities over their land and resources. Labor migration is driven by economic opportunities created by climate change, but it also raises questions about the rights and protections of migrant workers. Refugee movement is triggered by conflicts and disasters exacerbated by climate change, while internal displacement occurs within countries as a result of climate-related factors such as drought, flooding, and sea-level rise.

Through a comprehensive analysis of these domains, this book seeks to develop a political theory of climate displacement that recognizes the interconnectedness of these issues and provides a framework for addressing them. It explores the moral and political problems raised by climate displacement on their own terms, while also treating it as a unified phenomenon by examining the overarching questions of responsibility and fairness that it raises.

The result is an empirically grounded political theory that maps the conceptual terrain of climate displacement and charts a course for meeting the moral challenge that it presents. By recognizing the diverse experiences and perspectives of affected communities, this book aims to contribute to the development of policies and practices that promote resilience, justice, and sustainability in the face of climate change.

Climate displacement is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that requires a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach. This book provides a valuable contribution to the field by offering a political theory that recognizes the moral and political dimensions of climate displacement and provides a roadmap for addressing this pressing challenge.

Weight: 546g
Dimension: 159 x 243 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192870162