OAMI 2220 - Climate Change: Migration, Displacement, and Habitability

All humans live on planet earth. And yet, humanity has breached seven of nine “planetary boundaries” suggesting that much of our planet is already outside of a safe zone of habitability. Policy and law lags far behind our current climate-change induced reality, and millions of people will either be forced to adapt to suboptimal living conditions or will move to live in more habitable zones. Anticipatory action is essential, both as policymakers plan how to support people on the move, as well as how to mitigate climate as a driver of displacement.

Since the earliest history of humankind, people have migrated in response to environmental change. Today, there is growing concern that human-induced climate change will lead to far greater movements of people. Some movement is likely to be voluntary, as people look for better opportunities elsewhere in response to changing livelihoods. Some is likely to be involuntary – either anticipatory as people see the handwriting on the wall or reactive as people have no alternative but to move. Some will be spontaneous – in the case of rapid onset climate events, such as the flooding in Valencia Spain which displaced 15,000 people in 2024. Some will be planned as in the case of Senegal’s Ille Saint Louis, where a community was financed to relocate due to rising sea levels, with government support. Environment-related displacement and migration are not just concerns for future generations; people are already moving, within and across borders.

This course will begin with an examination of environmental risks and the social dimensions of climate change. It will review policy, legal and academic debates regarding habitability, displacement, and patterns of migration. The course will then look at the socio-economic, political, and demographic factors that affect environment-related displacement and migration as well as the domestic, cross-border, and international dynamics posed by climate-related migration, displacement, relocation, and immobility.

Learning Outcomes

• to understand the relationship between physical phenomena and socio-economic-political factors as drivers of displacement and migration
• to understand the normative frameworks applicable to different types of internal and cross-border migration and displacement
• to be able to explain basic concepts, such as vulnerability, risk, disaster risk reduction, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and to understand the roles of different national, international, and regional actors
• to become familiar with different disciplinary approaches to environmental migration and displacement, and to understand the different international institutional actors
• to understand the perspectives of both different EU and international actors regarding climate change generally, and environmental displacement and migration in particular
• to analyze in depth different countries’ experience (or potential experience) with environmentally-induced displacement and migration

None

Students will receive feedback through written assessment of in-class presentation, through a mid-course grade on their participation in class, and through written feedback and grading of their essays. Students are also welcome to set up meetings (online or in person) with the professor to receive additional feedback at any time during the semester.

One in-person test. 20%. The test will include 10 short-answer questions drawn from the readings and one essay question, (chosen from two questions)

Written policy memo or paper. 50%. In consultation with the professor, students will either a) pick a country or city and write a policy memo regarding climate mobility or b) write a paper examining a topic of their choosing regarding climate and migration. Word limit will be 10,000 words. Additional guidance will be provided early in the semester.

One debate. 20%. Students will sign up for a topic (e.g., is migration a useful form of adaptation to climate change, or is it a loss that should be compensated under the loss and damage fund?). Teams of 3-4 students will present each side of an argument according to strict time limits: 5 minutes each opening statements, 2 minutes each for rebuttal to one point, 2 minutes each for rebuttal to second point, 3 minutes each for closing statements.

Class participation. 10%. You are expected to attend all classes and participate actively in class discussions.

• Attendance: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
• Reading and Preparation for Class: 75 hours a week
• Research and Preparation for Group Work: 25 hours a week
• Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 26 hours a week