Water and Migration

Analytical tools & literature

• Statistical analysis tools: using SPSS and R programming to test hypotheses and various measures of central tendency and dispersion [link], [link]
• Data visualisation tools: ArcGIS, Excel, python and R programs [link], [link], [link]
• Geospatial analysis and visualisation tools: using ArcGIS and MATLAB software [link]
• Data organisation and computational tools: Excel, R and Python programming

Recommended resources

• Environmental refugees by Essam El-Hinnawi [link]
• Gemenne, F. (2011). Why the numbers don’t add up: A review of estimates and predictions of people displaced by environmental changes. Global Environmental Change, 21(1), pp. 41-49 [link]
• International Organization for Migration (IOM) (2020). Africa Migration Report [link]
• Africa Climate Mobility Initiative [link]
• Climate change justice and human rights: An African perspective [link]

Reflections and recommendations by the researcher

The study of environmental migration is a complex and interconnected issue involving multiple economic sectors and fields of study. When managed effectively, it has the potential to produce positive outcomes, including planned adaptation techniques to environmental extremes. However, if not managed properly, it could continue to result in further negative consequences and narratives that perpetuate unsustainable resilience-reactive modes. As a result, it is critical to pursue interdisciplinary research collaborations. This collaboration can facilitate the involvement of various stakeholders and contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the topic, fostering integrative actions to find solutions.

One of the primary challenges in this type of research is obtaining long-term temporal and spatial data to deepen the investigation. Therefore, promoting transparency and collaboration between scientific researchers and first responder organisations will allow others to replicate and validate your findings.

It's important to remain objective and avoid narratives prevalent in the media, especially for researchers originating from different parts of the globe than the study area. Ensure a deep understanding of the region and the people's way of life in which you are working before collecting and analysing data. Collaborating with local experts or individuals from the study area can provide valuable insights in this aspect. Conducting fieldwork will also allow you to better comprehend the realities on the ground.

While working from our offices, we often focus on numbers and data points to summarise our studies and derive results. However, it's crucial to remember that working with environmental migrants and disaster-affected people from the global south is a sensitive topic. Each data point or number on our computer represents people with full lives who have unfortunately found themselves in a challenging situation and environment. Find creative, unbiased ways to share their stories in addition to producing scientific papers.

Publication(s)

We invite you to read the paper published as part of this doctoral research:

Wolde, S. G., D’Odorico, P., & Rulli, M. C. (2023). Environmental drivers of human migration in SubSaharan Africa. Global Sustainability, 6 [link]

Elhassnaoui, I., Shehata Wahba, M. A., Wolde, S. G., Mohamed, B.-D., & Moumen, A. (2023). The past, current, and future of the Africa Green Revolution: The case study of Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria. World Water Policy, pp. 1-24 [link]