Mobility, Migration and Climate Change

The impact of environmental change on human mobilities and the way migration can act as a response to environmental hazards are attracting an increasing attention from both policy-makers and researchers worldwide in the context of climate change. Yet, knowledge in this field remains limited and fragmented. Numbers of future “environmental refugees” are often forecasted without reliable methodologies and concepts such as “trapped populations” or “climate migrants” are discussed without proper defini-tions. This talk will provide an overview of the environmental change migration nexus and investigate the key issues at stake. The concepts and methods most adequate to address the complexities of these phenomenon will also be questioned.

Etienne Piguet is Professor of Geography [Professeur ordinaire /geography of mobilities] at the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Since his pioneer publication for the UNHCR in 2008, Etienne Piguet is considered as one of the world’s specialist of migration and environment. His papers are among the most cited on the topic.  He is vice-president of the Swiss Federal Commission on Migration (appointed by the Swiss Federal Council), Chair of the Commission on Population Geography of the International Geographical Union (IGU) and Chair of the Swiss Committee of the International Geographical Union. He acted as Review Editor for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of United Nations (WMO/UNEP – WG2 AR5, chapter 13) and is member of several scientific associations and committees including the Swiss Association of Geography (steering committee), the Association of American Geographers and the Société suisse d’études africaines.

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