Leir Migration Monitor – November 2023

The Impact of Climate Change and Environmental Degradation on Human Mobility

As climate change intensifies, its impact on human mobility becomes progressively evident. Whether through slow-onset effects or sudden natural disasters, this warming trend is compromising livelihoods and threatens to displace growing numbers of people unless mitigating policies are put in place.

Based on summer field research funded by the Leir Institute, this paper examines the links between climate change, environmental degradation, and human mobility, with a focus on Rwanda as a case study. Rwanda, a country situated in a region experiencing adverse climate impacts, serves as an example of the challenges related to human mobility in the face of climate-induced hazards.