Contributions of evolutionary anthropology to understanding climate‐induced human migration

Abstract

Humans are able to thrive in a multitude of ecological and social environments, including varied environments over an individual lifetime. Migrationleaving one place of residence for another-is a central feature of many people's life histories, and environmental change goes hand-in-hand with migration, both in terms of cause and consequence. Climate change has amplified this connection between environment and migration, with the potential to profoundly impact millions of lives. Although climate-induced migration has been at the forefront of other disciplines in the social sciences, evolutionary anthropologists (EAs) have given it little attention. In this paper we draw upon existing literature and contribute our EA perspective to present a framework for analyzing climate-induced migration that utilizes theoretical approaches from a variety of social science disciplines. We focus on three overlapping dimensions-time, space, and severity-relevant to understanding the impact of climate change on human migration. We apply this framework to case studies from North America of people impacted by climate change and extreme weather events, including hurricanes, droughts, rising sea-levels, and wildfires. We also consider how access to both economic and social resources influence decisions regarding migration. Research focused on climate-induced human migration can benefit equally from the addition of EA perspectives and a more interdisciplinary theoretical approach.

Climate change–induced population pressure drives high rates of lethal violence in the Prehispanic central Andes

“…Importantly, both climatic and demographic factors have been shown to influence the frequency and severity of human violence ( 8 – 13 ). The interaction between climate and demography further amplifies these dynamics, as climate change may structure population growth rates and carrying capacity ( 14 – 16 ), and both climatic change and population fluctuations influence per capita resource availability ( 17 , 18 ). As such, understanding the manners in which climate and demographically driven competition interact to increase or decrease warfare remains a difficult and essential task.…”

Local social-ecological context explains seasonal rural-rural migration of the poorest in a rural community in southwestern Bangladesh.

“…It is conceivable that sons born first or second, because they have young fathers, take the risk of migrating during the first part of their adult lives, for example, to try to accumulate resources before inheriting. Human behavioural ecology considerations, such as demographic outcomes of migration and their temporality, the level of study (individuals, households, lineages or networks), and the multiples resources impacting the life cycles of individuals and households (45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51)(52) are important to consider to understand why some individuals move out while others stay to identify intrahousehold and interhousehold mechanisms leading to inequality and vulnerability (53,54).…”

Local social-ecological context explains seasonal rural-rural migration of the poorest in south-west Bangladesh

“…Moreover, according to an informal interview with a police officer, the most frequent conflicts in this community involve land disputes and inheritance issues, suggesting that land is a crucial resource here. Intrahousehold and interhousehold mechanisms leading to inequality must be considered potential push factors [66][67][68]. Such considerations will require another level of downscaling in the social-ecological system, including households, kin and non-kin networks and individual levels.…”