Situating ‘migration as adaptation’ discourse and appraising its relevance to Senegal’s development sector

Abstract

Academic and policy domains are increasingly constructing 'migration as adaptation' as a policy ideal against alarmist, security-oriented approaches to the climate-migration nexus. However, our knowledge of how development actors in national contexts view and use migration as adaptation in practice remains limited. Based on 90 interviews with development stakeholders, this paper demonstrates the limited reach of the migration as adaptation policy ideal in Senegal's development sector. It is considered too vague a concept to operationalise and is in tension with the wider discursive context on migration and development, marked by sedentary bias which requires 'addressing the root causes of migration', including environmental change, to 'fix populations in place'. A dominant discourse accommodates sedentary bias. It allows for a narrow application of migration as adaptation through 'return migration' and 'diaspora mobilisation' projects. These target only existing migrants, avoiding new mobility solutions. A minority counter-discourse rejects sedentary bias, emphasising freedom of movement.

A capital theory approach to migrants' views and engagement with climate adaptation in the region of origin: A qualitative study in Belgium

“…The nature of the climate change impacts mentioned and the references to climate adaptation over the years varied considerably within this sample, which demonstrates the importance of including the 'diversification of diversity' (Hollinger, 2006) in migration and climate adaptation policies. These results are not a surprise (see also Lietaer & Durand-Delacre, 2021;Ou-Salah et al, 2022), but allow us to better delve into how the different types of capital are relevant to the development of climate adaptation activities. Two broad groups were distinguished in terms of the kind and degree of capital and climate adaptation.…”

“…In addition, migration further initiates climate adaptation through the sending of financial and social remittances that diversify household incomes in the region of origin (Black et al, 2011; Gemenne & Blocher, 2017). However, only a few studies have focused on how migrants themselves approach their roles in relation to climate adaptation policies in their region of origin, and how and whether this relates to sending remittances (Lietaer & Durand‐Delacre, 2021; Musah‐Surugu et al, 2018; Ou‐Salah et al, 2022). Moreover, in this line of research, little attention has been paid to migrant views in the immigrant country, within the broader climate discourse and migrant integration context.…”

“…Few studies have examined whether remittances are consciously sent for climate adaptation purposes (Musah‐Surugu et al, 2018). Lietaer and Durand‐Delacre (2021, p. 15), for example, found that migrants from Senegal considered that migration could ‘play a role in achieving environmental or climate adaptation objectives in principle ’. Moreover, a study by Musah‐Surugu et al (2018) in Ghana indicated that – apart from consumption and infrastructure needs – remittances were invested in needs related to expected climate change.…”

Pathways to sustain atolls under rising sea levels through land claim and island raising

“…Migration can be seen as a means to adapt or as a failure to adapt in situ (McMichael et al 2019, Vinke et al 2020, Lietaer and Durand-Delacre 2021. This raises questions of scale, and whether land advance/raising and associated movement of people restricts loss and damage as the population is contained within one country, or whether migration is a product of loss and damage as people move away from their homes to another island.…”

“…There has been significant debate as to whether climate change related migration is a means to adapt, or a failure to adapt (McMichael et al 2019, Vinke et al 2020, Lietaer and Durand-Delacre 2021, which could when crossing international borders lead to refugee status. However, if implemented appropriately to decrease vulnerability, 'migration as adaptation' (i.e.…”