The Role of Remittances in Building Climate-Resilient Communities: Migration-for-Adaptation in Western Sahel

Abstract

The link between human migration and climate change adaptation has predominantly been investigated in the framework of preventing or coping with climate risks. While common strategies use adaptation to prevent forced migration, migration is increasingly considered as an important response to cope with climate change (migration-as-adaptation). We propose a new conceptual framework, aimed at investigating the potential of migration-for-adaptation. New opportunities, resources and networks of migrants in the host regions can diversify the households’ livelihoods, support climate adaptation and build social resilience in migrant sending countries. This contributes to improving resilience against climate change and to rebuilding regions in post-conflict situations, thus avoiding negative linkages between climate change and conflict and providing synergies in both problem areas. This framework has been tested in Western Sahel (Mali, Mauritania Senegal), using qualitative and quantitative analysis to explore the role of remittances at the national level, and micro-level analysis on the role of migrant networks in co-development projects in water, food and energy. The results from the Sahel case study will be contrasted with a case study carried out in North-Western Pakistan, for better assessing the role of (formal and less formal) institutional processes and networks in channelling diaspora’s contribution to communities’ resilience.