Project

FWO sabbatical bench fee professor Ruyssen

Code
K801324N
Duration
01 March 2024 → 31 July 2024
Funding
Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO)
Promotor-spokesperson
Research disciplines
  • Social sciences
    • International economics
Keywords
Climate change and migration
 
Project description

This project investigates the role of access to irrigation as a mitigating factor for migration aspirations following drought. Climate change, marked by increased precipitation variability and severe droughts, adversely impacts agricultural yields, affecting the livelihoods of 700-800 million impoverished individuals reliant on agriculture globally. Migration is viewed as an adaptation strategy, but its large-scale occurrence poses challenges. Smallholder farms, contributing 50% to global food production, are vital for addressing food security concerns. Existing literature on climate change and migration yields inconclusive findings, partly due to the oversight of alternative adaptation strategies. This study focuses on irrigation as a potential adaptation strategy that might reduce migration aspirations through its capacity to reduce local temperatures, alleviate heat stress, and diversify livelihood options. To fill the gap in the literature, we will combine data on droughts and irrigation coverage at a relatively detailed level of time and spatial granularity with individual survey data documenting migration aspirations at specific dates and spatial units. Specifically, we will exploit regional variation in drought exposure and irrigation use at the subnational level across Western African countries over the period 2008-2023. The ultimate goal of the project is to enhance our understanding of the factors shaping (im)mobility patterns in the context of climate change.