Doctoral Dissertation Research: Environmentally Induced Migration

University Of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Investigators

Abstract

Although scholars have begun to examine the relationship between migration and environmental quality, they often ignore how communities threatened with the impacts of climate change are experiencing and managing relocation as an adaptation to climatic changes. This research attempts to fill this gap by looking at how the residents of Vunidogoloa in Fiji implemented and managed relocation as an adaptation to rising sea levels. This case study provides a comprehensive strategy for the entire process of displacement, including the arrival and adjustment period. This research will employ participant observation and open-ended interviews with community members and key actors involved in the relocation of the Vunidogoloa village to address the following: (1) How are communities that are directly threatened by rising sea levels implementing and managing relocation as an adaptation to climate change? (2) At what point is relocation the last viable option? (3) What economic, social, and cultural obstacles do communities face prior to, during, and after relocation? and (4) How do communities establish networks with government officials, NGOs, and other community organizations to help financially assist with their relocation efforts? The results of this study will enhance scholarly understanding of the relationship between migration and environmental degradation. Furthermore, it will provide an alternative perspective of the strategies, and challenges of environmentally induced migration by paying attention to the personal experiences of people directly impacted by rising sea levels. By documenting the relocation of Vunidogoloa, which was a community led climate change adaptation program that was supported by the national government, governments will be better equipped to address possible relocation policies in a more equitable manner.