ENV 774b () / 2024-2025

"Framing" Climate Migration: Science, Policy, Ethics & Politics of a Growing Crisis

People have constantly moved throughout history in response to changing climates, natural disasters, and environmental degradation, usually leading to the formation of new states, the expansion of territories, and the creation of diverse economies. These migrations have historically been a way to adapt to changing environments and embrace new opportunities for growth and survival. The reality of climatic change today is of a different magnitude and consequence, occurring in a politically, economically, and socially labyrinthine and polarized world. This intensive seminar is for students from diverse disciplines and will offer students an option for summer field work to allow for a deeper understanding of climate migration. This course explores the complex relationship between climate change and migration, focusing on the attribution of environmental/climate change drivers, the experiences of migrants, the responses of host communities, and the rise of a far-right negative narrative on climate migration. Legal frameworks and human rights perspectives will be central to understanding the challenges and opportunities for climate migrants.