Top

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change

Published in:

01-04-2014 | Original Article

Policy options to support climate-induced migration: insights from disaster relief in China

Authors: Hongjian Zhou, Weixing Zhang, Yehong Sun, Yi Yuan

Published in: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change | Issue 4/2014

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config

AI-assisted search

Off

Abstract

Attention to climate-induced migration has grown considerably in recent years, reinforced by high frequency of droughts, storms and flooding. Focusing on migrations induced by flash floods in Zhouqu and droughts in central Ningxia, China this study illustrates key factors in the process of policy options to support climate-induced migration. The study is based on stakeholder interviews and secondary data processing. The findings show that integrating sudden and slow-onset hazards, combining top-down and bottom-up methodology and encouraging private sectors to establish Public-Private Partnership, are the main policy options from disaster relief perspective. Otherwise, two prospective transformations are proposed in policy options, transferring from re-active migration to pro-active migration, and from move & stay to hope & development in the aspect of migrants’ livelihood improvement.

next article The determinants of support levels for wind energy in the European Union. An econometric study

Amendola JLA, Okada N, Shi P (2007) Disaster risk management: pro-active financing to reduce vulnerability. Environ Hazards 7:1–6CrossRef

Barnett J, Campbell J (2010) Climate change and small island states: power, knowledge and the South Pacific. Earthscan, London

Black R, Kniveton D, Skeldon R et al (2008) Demographics and climate change: future trends and their policy implications for migration. In: DIFD working paper. Development Research Center on Migration, Globalization and Poverty, Brighton

Cruz RV, Harasawa H, Lal M et al (2007) Asia. In: Parry ML, Canziani OF, Palutikof JP et al (eds) Climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of working group II to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

Cui P, Chen X, Zhu Y et al (2011) The Wenchuan Earthquake (May 12, 2008), Sichuan Province, China, and resulting geohazards. Nat Hazards 56:19–36CrossRef

De Wet C (2005) Risk, complexity and local initiative in involuntary resettlement outcomes. In: Wet D (ed) Towards improving outcomes in development induced involuntary resettlement projects. Berghahn Books, Oxford

Dixit A (2003) Floods and vulnerability: need to rethink flood management. Nat Hazards 28:155–179CrossRef

ISDR-International Recovery Platform (IRP) (2007) Learning from disaster recovery. Guidance for decision makers. A publication from the international recovery platform. Supported by the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC), International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) secretariat, and the United Nations Development Program. Preliminary Version for Consultation. May

Jager J, Johannes F, Sigrid G et al (2009) EACH-FOR synthesis report. EACH-FOR, Budapest

Jonsson G (2010) The environmental factor in migration dynamics: a review of African case studies. In working papers. International Migration Institute, Oxford

Kline DS (2003) Push and pull factors in international nurse migration. J Nurs Sch 35(2):107–111CrossRef

Liu C, Golding D, Gong G (2008) Farmers’ coping response to the low flows in the lower Yellow River: a case study of temporal dimensions of vulnerability. Glob Environ Chang 18:543–553CrossRef

Liu C, Miao T, Chen H et al (2011) Basic feature and origin of the “8·8” mountain torrent-debris flow disaster happened in Zhouqu County, Gansu, China, Aug. 8, 2010. Geol Bull China 20(1):141–150 (in Chinese)

Luo Q, Yang G (2009) Experiences and results of aiding the poor by migration in Ningxia. Res Agric Modernization 30(5):575–578 (in Chinese)

McLeman R (2010) Impacts of population change on vulnerability and the capacity to adapt to climate change and variability: a typology based on lessons from “a hard country”. Popul Environ 31:286–316CrossRef

Meze-Hausken E (2000) Migration caused by climate change: how vulnerable are people inn dryland areas? Mitig Adap Strateg Glob Chang 5(4):379–406CrossRef

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) (2005) Ecosystems and human well-being: desertification synthesis. World Resources Institute, Washington

Oliver-Smith A (1977) Traditional agriculture, central places, and postdisaster urban relocation in Peru. Am Ethnol 4(1):102–116CrossRef

Ostwald M, Chen D (2006) Land-use change: impacts of climate variations and policies among small-scale framers in the Loess Plateau, China. Land Use Policy 23:361–371CrossRef

Piguet E (2008) Climate change and forced migration. In: New issues in refugee research. UNHCR, Geneva

Popovski V, Mundy KG (2012) Defining climate-change victims. Sustain Sci 7(1):5–16CrossRef

Qin D, Liu S, Li P (2006) Snow cover distribution, variability and response to climate change in western China. J Climate 19(9):1820–1833CrossRef

Renaud FG, Bogardi JJ (2007) Forced migrations due to degradation of arid lands: concepts, debate and policy requirements. In: King C, Bigas H, Adeel Z (eds) Desertification and the international policy imperative, proceedings of a joint international conference, Algiers, Algeria, 17–19 December 2006. UNU Desertification Series No. 7. United Nation University, Tokyo, pp 24–34

Shi P (2011) Atlas of natural disaster risk of China. Science Press, Beijing

Smit B, Wandel J (2006) Adaptation, adaptive capacity and vulnerability. Glob Environ Chang 16:282–292CrossRef

Sun J, Zhang X, Li J et al (2011) Analysis of drought changes and drought mitigation in Xiji County of Ningxia. Agric Sci Technol 11:11–14

Wang J, Shi P, Wang P et al (2006) Temporal and spatial pattern of natural disaster in China. Science Press, Beijing, in Chinese

Warner K, Hamza M, Oliver-Smith A et al (2010) Climate change, environmental degradation and migration. Nat Hazard 55:689–715CrossRef

Xu ZG, Xu JT, Deng XZ et al (2006) Grain for green versus grain: conflict between food security and conservation set-aside in China. World Devel 34:130–148CrossRef

Zhou J (2011) Climate change, health and migration in urban China. Front Econ China 6(4):592–615CrossRef

Zhou H, Wang J, Wan J et al (2010) Resilience to natural hazards: a geographic perspective. Nat Hazards 53:21–41CrossRef

Zong Y, Chen X (2000) The 1998 flood on the Yangtze, China. Nat Hazards 22:165–184CrossRef

Zou M, Yuan Y, Liao Y et al (2011) Integrated risk governance: China’s comprehensive natural disaster relief system. Science Press, Beijing, in Chinese

Title: Policy options to support climate-induced migration: insights from disaster relief in China
Authors: Hongjian Zhou
Weixing Zhang
Yehong Sun
Yi Yuan
Publication date: 01-04-2014
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change / Issue 4/2014
Print ISSN: 1381-2386
Electronic ISSN: 1573-1596
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-012-9438-7

Springer Professional

Abstract

Please log in to get access to your license.

Other articles of this Issue 4/2014

Two methods to assess vulnerability to climate change in the Mexican agricultural sector

Impact of climate change: an empirical investigation of Malaysian rice production

Catastrophe theory to assess water security and adaptation strategy in the context of environmental change

Climate change adaptation planning in agriculture: processes, experiences and lessons learned from early adapters

The determinants of support levels for wind energy in the European Union. An econometric study

Optimal carbon mitigation strategy under non-linear feedback effects and in the presence of permafrost release trigger hazard