Natural Disasters and Human Mobility

ZEF - Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, Working Paper 151

31 Pages Posted: 17 Aug 2016

See all articles by Linguère Mbaye

Linguère Mbaye

IZA

Klaus F. Zimmermann

Global Labor Organization (GLO); UNU-MERIT; Maastricht University, Department of Economics; Free University Berlin; University of Bonn; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); Journal of Population Economics

Date Written: August 2016

Abstract

This paper reviews the effect of natural disasters on human mobility or migration. Although there is an increase of natural disasters and migration recently and more patterns to observe, the relationship remains complex. While some authors find that disasters increase migration, others show that they have only a marginal or no effect or are even negative. Human mobility appears to be an insurance mechanism against environmental shocks and there are different transmission channels which can explain the relationship between natural disasters and migration. Moreover, migrants’ remittances help to decrease households’ vulnerability to shocks but also dampen their adverse effects. The paper provides a discussion of policy implications and potential future research avenues.

Keywords: natural disasters, forced migration, channels, remittances, migration as insurance, floods, earthquakes, droughts

JEL Classification: J61, O15, Q54, Q56

Suggested Citation

Mbaye, Linguère and Zimmermann, Klaus F., Natural Disasters and Human Mobility (August 2016). ZEF - Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, Working Paper 151, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2825015 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2825015

Klaus F. Zimmermann

Global Labor Organization (GLO) ( email )

Bonn
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://https://glabor.org/

UNU-MERIT ( email )

Keizer Karelplein 19
Maastricht, 6211TC
Netherlands

Maastricht University, Department of Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 616
Maastricht, Limburg 6200MD
Netherlands

University of Bonn

Postfach 2220
Bonn, D-53012
Germany

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

Journal of Population Economics

Tiergartenstr. 17
D-69121 Heidelberg
Germany

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