International Organization For Migration: Human

International Organization for
Migration
Human Migration
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What is Human Migration?
Migration (human) is the movement of people from one
place in the world to another for the purpose of taking up
permanent or semi permanent residence, usually across a
political boundary.
An example of "semi permanent residence" would be the

seasonal movements of migrant farm laborers. People can
either choose to move ("voluntary migration") or be
forced to move ("involuntary migration").
Migrations have occurred throughout human history,
beginning with the movements of the first human groups
from their origins in East Africa to their current location in
the world. 3
What is Human Migration?......
• Migration occurs at a variety of scales: intercontinental
(between continents), intra-continental (between countries
on a given continent), and interregional (within countries).
• One of the most significant migration patterns has been

rural to urban migration—the movement of people from
the countryside to cities in search of opportunities.
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Types of Migration
• Internal Migration: Moving to a new home within a state,
country, or continent.
• External Migration: Moving to a new home in a different

state, country, or continent.
• Emigration: Leaving one country to move to another (e.g.,

the Pilgrims emigrated from England).
• Immigration: Moving into a new country (e.g., the Pilgrims

immigrated to America).
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Types of Migration……
• Population Transfer: When a government forces a large
group of people out of a region, usually based on ethnicity
or religion. This is also known as an involuntary or forced
migration.
• Impelled Migration (also called "reluctant" migration):

Individuals are not forced out of their country, but leave
because of unfavorable situations such as warfare, political
problems, or religious persecution.
• Step Migration: A series of shorter, less extreme
migrations from a person's place of origin to final
destination—such as moving from a farm, to a village, to a
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town, and finally to a city.
Types of Migration……
• Chain Migration: A series of migrations within a family or
defined group of people. A chain migration often begins
with one family member who sends money to bring other
family members to the new location.
• Return Migration: The voluntary movements of immigrants

back to their place of origin. This is also known as circular
migration.
• Seasonal Migration: The process of moving for a period of

time in response to labor or climate conditions (e.g., farm
workers following crop harvests or working in cities off-
season.
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Why Do People Migrate?
People move for a variety of reasons. They consider the
advantages and disadvantages of staying versus moving, as
well as factors such as distance, travel costs, travel time,
modes of transportation, terrain, and cultural barriers.
• Push Factors: Reasons for emigrating (leaving a place)

because of a difficulty (such as a food shortage, war, flood,
etc.).
• Pull Factors: Reasons for immigrating (moving into a place)

because of something desirable (such as a nicer climate,
better food supply, freedom, etc.).
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Why Do People Migrate?
Several types of push and pull factors may influence people in

their movements including:
1. Environmental (e.g., climate, natural disasters)

2. Political (e.g., war)
3. Economic (e.g., work)
4. Cultural (e.g., religious freedom, education)
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Lee’s migration model
Impacts of Migration
• Human migration affects population patterns and
characteristics, social and cultural patterns and processes,
economies, and physical environments.
• As people move, their cultural traits and ideas diffuse along
with them, creating and modifying cultural landscapes.
Diffusion: The process through which certain characteristics

(e.g., cultural traits, ideas, disease) spread over space and
through time.
Relocation Diffusion: Ideas, cultural traits, etc. that move
with people from one place to another and do not remain
in the point of origin. 12
Impacts of Migration ….
• Expansion Diffusion: Ideas, cultural traits, etc., that move
with people from one place to another but are not lost at
the point of origin, such as language.
• Cultural markers: Structures or artifacts (e.g., buildings,

spiritual places, architectural styles, signs, etc.) that reflect
the cultures and histories of those who constructed or
occupy them.
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Statement of Fact
BANGLADESH
“What is alarming is that a metre rise in sea level would

inundate 18% of our land mass, directly impacting 11% of
our people...of the billion people expected to be displaced
worldwide by 2050 by climate change factors…one in
every 7 people in Bangladesh, would be a victim”
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BANGLADESH
• 1 million people are displaced every year by riverbank

erosion (2009 study on Indigenous Adaptation Strategies of
the Riverbank Erosion Displacees in Bangladesh: A Study of
Two Northwestern Riparian Villages)
• Flooding during July-August 2007 caused 3,363 casualties,
affected 10 million people and reduced crop output by 13%
• Cyclone Sidr (2007) affected 8.7 million people, 1.5 million
houses and damaged 4.1 million trees
• Cyclone Aila (2009) displaced 800,000 people; in the 2
worst hit districts (Satkhira and Khulna) 25,928 families are
still living in informal camp-like settlements 15
Assessing the Evidence
Climate Change Vulnerability Index ranked
Bangladesh as the most climate vulnerable
country based on:
– exposure to climate related disasters

– population density
– poverty
– high dependence on agriculture
– low coping capacity of the government
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MONGA AFFECTED AREAS
Population Movement
• Long history of internal migration, mostly rural to urban;
seasonal/temporary migration; overseas labour migration
has grown manifold in the last 2 decades with over 6
million Bangladeshi migrants believed to be working
abroad
• Recent figures show that 40% of migrants are from the
southern coastal districts, indicating that environmental
factors are playing a role in addition to economic factors -
• Cross-border movements is a sensitive issue: porous
borders, no consensus or conclusive research/evidence on
trends, numbers: over securitization
Assessing the Evidence: Geography
• 7 major rivers and over 200 smaller rivers
• 80% of Bangladesh lies on deltaic floodplains and
most parts are less than 12 metres above sea level
• Climate change is expected to exacerbate existing
vulnerabilities:
– Increase in intensity and frequency of floods,
cyclones, storm surges, droughts
Assessing the Evidence: Geography….
Climate change is affecting the movement of people in the
following 3 ways in Bangladesh:
1. Intensification of natural disasters (both sudden and
slow onset)
• flashfloods, monsoon floods, cyclones, riverbank
erosion, drought are all a recurring problem for
Bangladesh
• Between 2009 and 2010, Bangladesh has experienced
one major cyclone and two major floods, displacing a
reported total of 1,642,000 people
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2. Rising sea levels making coastal areas uninhabitable
• Increased salinity in the coastal areas impacting on
the agricultural ability of the land.
• Increased salinity is affecting the fish production in
the region
• Loss of traditional livelihoods leading to other forms
of livelihoods such as shrimp farming which further
contribute to environmental degradation
• Coastal erosion - the island Kutubdia which once
stretched over a landmass of 250 square kilometers,
has been reduced to just 37 square kilometers within
a century, and more than half of the population has
been forced to leave. 23
3. Urbanization: Competition over scarce resources potentially
leading to tensions, conflict and further displacement:
• Dhaka is amongst the top 20 mega cities with an growth
rate of 4.10% - one of the highest growth rates after Delhi
and Karachi;
• Rapid and unplanned urbanization – Dhaka faces severe
threats in terms of ability to cope with disasters (floods,
earthquakes), health hazards (slums, sewage disposal) and
food security – 3 million or 1 in 4 of Dhaka’s population
live in slums;
• Dhaka faces severe energy and water crises in trying to
accommodate the displaced people by environmental and 24
climate factors.
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Environmental Migration & Displacement:
Human Insecurity
Climate Change and

Environmental Degradation
Displacement and Migration
Human insecurity issues Rapid and unplanned urbanization

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Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and
Migration: Human Insecurity
Shortage of safe
drinking water
Competition
between
Food Insecurity
residents
Human
Insecurity
Deteriorating Increase in
law and order water-borne
-Increase in crime & air-borne
& violence diseases
Energy Shortages
Climate Change and Food Security
• Agriculture comprises approximately 20% of Bangladesh’s
GDP and employs about 45% of the total labour force
• In the coastal regions of Bangladesh, crop yields,
particularly rice yields are on the decline
• In the northern parts of the country, increasing frequency
and intensity of droughts are affecting the availability of
water which is subsequently affecting the production of
rice
• IPCC predicts that production of rice may drop by 10 per
cent and wheat by one-third in Bangladesh by 2050
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What does evidence tell us?
Existing Policies and Programmes
Gaps and Policy Priorities
Climate Change and Migration
• Migration is NOT effectively mainstreamed with
environmental, disaster management or climate change
policy
• The recognition of migration as a viable adaptation
strategy
• Lack of collaboration and coordination amongst all
stakeholders
• Gaps in policy and research
• Lack of a comprehensive regional approach to climate
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change and migration [in SAARC].
Recommendations
• Need for further research to ensure informed and evidence
policy and programme intervention
• Raise policy and public awareness on the complex linkages

between migration, the environment and climate change
• Mapping of environmental and climate vulnerable areas
• Develop policy coherence at national level - mainstream

migration across all relevant sectors
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Recommendations……
• Minimize forced migration – facilitate managed migration
as a viable adaptation strategy
• Adopt national policy for planned urban development –
national migration management to ensure balanced
mobility/resettlement.
• Create alternative livelihoods where traditional livelihoods
are affected; imperative to reduce rural-urban migration
(e.g. through relocation of small scale industries to rural
areas, environmentally sustainable shrimp farming, etc).
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International Organization for

An example of "semi permanent residence" would be the

• One of the most significant migration patterns has been

• External Migration: Moving to a new home in a different

• Emigration: Leaving one country to move to another (e.g.,

• Immigration: Moving into a new country (e.g., the Pilgrims

• Impelled Migration (also called "reluctant" migration):

• Return Migration: The voluntary movements of immigrants

• Seasonal Migration: The process of moving for a period of

• Push Factors: Reasons for emigrating (leaving a place)

• Pull Factors: Reasons for immigrating (moving into a place)

Several types of push and pull factors may influence people in

1. Environmental (e.g., climate, natural disasters)

Diffusion: The process through which certain characteristics

• Cultural markers: Structures or artifacts (e.g., buildings,

“What is alarming is that a metre rise in sea level would

• 1 million people are displaced every year by riverbank

– exposure to climate related disasters

Climate Change and

Human insecurity issues Rapid and unplanned urbanization

• Raise policy and public awareness on the complex linkages

• Mapping of environmental and climate vulnerable areas

• Develop policy coherence at national level - mainstream

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