Global Environmentally Induced Migration: A Major Challenge for Social Work Research

Background and Purpose

Different phenomena of global environmental change can trigger forced migration, such as: climatic variability and changing precipitation patterns; drought, land degradation and desertification; floods and sea level rise; and loss of biodiversity, ecosystems services (e.g., agriculture, forestry, and fishing) and food production. Climate change plays a major role in environmentally induced migration through its negative impact on terrestrial ecosystems, land and soil fertility, and food security. Increased frequency and magnitude of natural disasters destroy infrastructure and livelihoods. Lastly, competition over diminishing natural resources may exacerbate pressures and contribute to conflict.

Social work is challenged with new dimensions and magnitude of forced migration and (often undocumented) immigration. Intervention strategies at all levels must take into account growing evidence for global environmental change impacting human lives. Social work research must account for this reality to adequately inform future interventions. Broader inclusion of inter-disciplinary and systems level perspectives are proposed.

Methods

(1) We conducted a rigorous systematic review of recent (2010-2016) literature studying the effects of global environmental change on human livelihoods, vulnerability, and under-development resulting in forced migration and further results such as trauma, violence, poverty and conflict. The Campbell Collaboration Resource Center was utilized to recognize the steps that must be followed in order to conduct a rigorous systematic review. Peer reviewed articles, social work and other reports, UN documents, white papers and other policy documents were analyzed. Keywords used were environmental migration, environmental refugees, climate change and social work, environmental social work, indigenous social work and conservation social work. Of a set of 1,400 articles and documents, 200 were included in the review. (2) We reviewed 50 graduate level course syllabi used within MSW curricula in select CSWE accredited schools of social work that deal with forced migration, refugees and immigration with an aim to track down the inclusion of global environmental change phenomenon.

Results

(1) Our review found solid evidence that global environmental change and its social-ecological effects have become major drivers for forced migration worldwide; particularly in developing countries and weak or fragile states. Numerous case studies (e.g. Kenya, Sudan, Bangladesh, Mexico) add to this evidence. The literature also shows that environmentally induced migration often adds to existing vulnerability and fragility in both the migrant population and the target country. (2) Both the literature review and the syllabus review revealed a significant gap in social work literature as well as graduate level education where climate change or other environmentally induced migration and immigration are not sufficiently recognized as such, which may impair the quality and effectiveness of evidence based practice in social work in working with these populations.

Conclusions and Implications

We suggest that social work research, within the thematic scope of international migration, forced migration and displacement, and (undocumented) immigration, follow the trend of other academic programs and focus more on environmental factors in migration. Social workers will undoubtedly have to deal with the impacts of climate change and other environmental factors on human migration and resulting issues such as poverty, trauma, oppression or conflict.