By Rex Alex

There are a plethora of motivations behind why someone may decide to become an Environmental Refugee. These include push factors, for example, climate change can cause a reduction in land, livelihood or habitat security for some Pacific communities. Similarly, low-lying coastal areas and river deltas may become unsuitable for physical settlement, or they remain habitable but income and food security options become marginal. As well as reduced precipitation or increased disease vectors causing the deterioration of habitability. However there are also some pull factors including, labor market opportunities that come with better education, health care or the ability to send remittances to families. In regards to community relocation, communities may prefer to relocate to sites that are as close to the original settlement. This would enable communities to sustain most of their livelihoods, although those based on the coastal sector may become less viable. Evaluating these push and pull factors allows for better understanding of the conflicts Environmental Refugees face.

ampbell, John, and Olivia Warrick. Climate Change and Migration Issues in the Pacific CLIMATE CHANGE and MIGRATION ISSUES in the PACIFIC. Aug. 2014. https://www.ilo.org/dyn/migpractice/docs/261/Pacific.pdf