Theoretical and conceptual evaluation of climate-related displacement and mobility

Abstract

This study aims to clarify the existing complexity by exploring the conceptual and theoretical foundations of climate-related displacement and mobility; and by deriving a perspective on climatic displacement and mobility from empirical findings in the literature and data from global institutions that collect climate-related migration data. Climate-related human mobility is increasingly recognized as a significant and pressing global concern. Academic interest in this topic, while emerging after the 2000s, has led to a relatively complex and somewhat fragmented body of literature, reflecting its contemporary and interdisciplinary relevance. Studies related to the topic have been thoroughly reviewed, and a systematic and comprehensive evaluation has been made through critical literature analysis. According to this, climate-induced migration is on the rise in many parts of the world, especially in Southeast Asia, Central Africa, and the Americas. As climate change intensifies, its existing areas of impact continue to expand, and this further complicates mobility dynamics, particularly by acting as a compounding factor that exacerbates socioeconomic vulnerabilities and structural inequalities. Research findings and literature suggest that climate change-induced migration may become more pronounced in the future and emerge as an important item on the global agenda. While analyzing the broader phenomenon of climate-induced migration, the study focuses primarily on disaster-driven internal displacement due to data limitations from global institutions like the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC).