Climate, floods, and migration in Pakistan
| Published date | 01 August 2023 |
| Author | Ahsan Kamal |
| Date | 01 August 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/imig.13170 |
International Migration. 2023;61:349–352.
|
349
wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/imig
Climate change- induced migration is gaining traction in scholarly and policy circles due to the rise in rapid- onset
climate shocks, like droughts, floods, and extreme temperatures. However, the challenges posed by complex
causal and slow-onset ecological shocks tend to receive less attention partly due to the difficulty of studying
these (Kacz an & Orgill- Meyer, 2020). To develop a better u nderstanding of the de mographic shifts lin ked to mo-
bility, it is crucial to go b eyond the analysis of individual o r household decisions to migrate a nd connect climate
change issues wit h broader adaptation st rategies. In this comment , I examine the misalignment b etween policies
dealing with climate shocks and the mobility strategies of marginalized communities in rural Pakistan. We see
that the intertwining of slow and quick- onset disaster s drives both temporary and long- term mobility patterns,
Received: 26 May 2023
|
Accepted: 29 May 2023
DOI: 10 .1111/imig .13170
COMMENTARY
Climate, floods, and migration in Pakistan
Ahsan Kamal
© 2023 Internati onal Organizati on for Migration.
National Ins titute of Pakista n Studies,
Quaid- i- Azam University, Islam abad,
Pakistan
Correspondence
Ahsan Kamal , National Instit ute of
Pakistan Stu dies, Quaid- i- Azam University,
Islamabad, Pakistan.
Email: ahsankl@qau.edu.pk
Abstract
This commentary offers a glimpse into the complex land-
scape of climate- induced migration in rural Pakistan. By
shedding light on the interplay between gradual ecologi-
cal shifts an d rapid climate shocks, it exposes t he misalign-
ment between climate policies and the mobility strategies
of marginalized communities. The vulnerabilities of rural
Pakistanis facing climate and ecological shocks, like the
2022 floods, are rooted in the historical mismanage-
ment of land and water commons. The current focus on
infrastructure- heavy interventions does not address the
rigidity introduced by colonial and postcolonial interven-
tions, which have undermined the seasonal mobility and
fluidity of pastoralists, peasants, fishers and the landless
in rural Pakistan. Thinking climate and migration together
requires us to consider t he socio- economic const raints and
drivers of migration , burgeoning political conflict s, and the
ecological consequences of infrastructure- heavy climate
adaptation str ategies by global investors and the Pakist ani
state.
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