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Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2013

Questioning the image of an exodus: factoring climate changes in migration decision-making in Tuvalu, a socially discriminating process

Résumé

The possibility of people being forced out of their land because of climate changes, especially in poorer countries, is the cornerstone of pleas supporting the creation of a "climate refugee" status. Living in a low-lying SIDS of the South Pacific, Tuvalu's population is an interesting case, as it is often presented as a homogeneous victim of sea-level rise and an archetypical collective candidate for international protection. However, my master's thesis, which focused on the links between climate variability and out-migrations, showed the complexity of determining who could be considered as refugees or whether those who migrate were the most affected. I led field research in 2009 in Funafuti, Suva and Auckland where I interviewed Tuvaluans (migrants or not). I applied a geographical approach for the interviews, which included households from various parts of Funafuti - since environmental conditions can vary, even at a micro-scale - and from various social backgrounds. Answers revealed that inequalities in social, economic and cultural capital influenced people's ability to anticipate environmental changes and design migration strategies accordingly. Inequalities appeared particularly significant concerning access to relevant information on climate changes. Given the prospective nature of the potential disappearance of the atoll due to sea-level rise, such inequalities might play a critical role in shaping migration dynamics. Thus researchers and policy makers should question migrants-centered protections - since migration can constitute a long-term adaptation - and the tendency to indiscriminately designate a whole population as climate refugees - given the uneven temporalities of adaptation between individuals.

Domaines

Géographie
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Dates et versions

hal-00929757 , version 1 (13-01-2014)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-00929757 , version 1

Citer

Emilie Chevalier. Questioning the image of an exodus: factoring climate changes in migration decision-making in Tuvalu, a socially discriminating process. 2013 International Geographical Union Regional Conference, Aug 2013, Kyoto, Japan. ⟨hal-00929757⟩
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