Beyond origin stories: a literature review of climate migration frameworks and potential implications for the Great Lakes
Climate migration research overwhelmingly examines socioeconomic and cultural aspects of people moving from their origin communities, yet minimal studies address what happens at receiving regions. This leaves potential receiving regions without guidance on infrastructure needs, service demands, or integration capacity. This literature review synthesizes definitions, theoretical frameworks, empirical evidence, methodological limitations, and critical research gaps, with particular attention to the Great Lakes region as a potential destination for climate-induced migrants. By establishing theoretical and empirical foundation for understanding climate migration through the lens of receiving communities, this review, together with companion analysis of infrastructure and capacity questions, aims to equip Great Lakes municipalities with informed analysis to stimulate on-time preparations.
Read more here
By Avneet Kaur and Dr. Gail Krantzberg
Addressing Climate Resilience in the African Region: Prioritizing Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-Being inDisaster Preparedness and Response Planning for Mainstream Communities and Migrants
Belayneh Fentahun Shibesh and Nidhi Nagabhatla 2025
This research emphasizes the importance of developing comprehensive adaptation strategies integrating mental health considerations into broader climate response frameworks. Recommendations emerging from this assessment call for immediate and focused attention on developing specialized research, policies, and interventions that recognize the unique mental health challenges posed by climate change in African contexts. We also note the current limitations in the existing national adaptation plans, which frequently overlook mental health dimensions, thereby underscoring the necessity of a more holistic and nuanced approach to understanding climate change’s psychological impacts. In this exploratory study, we intended to provide a crucial preliminary assessment of the complex intersections between climate change, mental health, and migration, offering valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and healthcare professionals seeking to develop more comprehensive and responsive strategies in an increasingly challenging environmental landscape.
Yang, H., Krantzberg, G., Dong, X., & Hu, X. (2023). Environmental outcomes of climate migration and local governance: an empirical study of Ontario. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 15(3), 371-390.
Role of Human Mobility in Global Climate Policy: Belém and Beyond
April 23, 2025 | Julia Blocher
After providing an overview of the history of human mobility in UNFCCC discussions, the brief examines the latest round of climate negotiations, including the agreement on a new global climate financing target, backsliding since the 2015 Paris Agreement, unfulfilled promises on loss and damage, and steps toward enhancing climate justice, such as recognizing intergenerational impacts of climate change and the role of youth at the negotiating table.
Photo Credit: Stefanie Wesch/PIK
Progress of the Malabo Declaration as a Regional Agenda: Towards Addressing Hunger in Africa
May 2025, Chibuzor Charles Ubah and Nidhi Nagabhatla
The Malabo Declaration commits African Union member states to eliminating hunger by 2025. Progress toward this target has been uneven and poorly understood. While some countries have recorded gains in non-hunger thematic areas such as finance, trade, resilience to climate variability, and governance and accountability mechanisms, the extent to which these improvements contribute to hunger reduction remains unclear. This study investigates whether performance in non-hunger areas, as measured through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Biennial Review C-scores, is statistically associated with outcomes under Commitment 3, which focuses on hunger eduction.