Abstract

Climate change is increasingly recognized as a significant driver of human mobility, shaping migration patterns 
through complex interactions between environmental stressors, socioeconomic vulnerabilities, and governance 
structures. This study synthesizes existing evidence on the drivers, adaptation pathways, and governance 
responses associated with climate migration. Drawing on interdisciplinary research and systematic reviews, the 
analysis examines how environmental hazards such as sea-level rise, droughts, floods, and extreme weather events 
interact with social, economic, political, and institutional factors to influence migration decisions. The study 
further explores adaptation strategies, including autonomous and planned adaptation, highlighting how mobility 
can function both as a coping mechanism and as a long-term resilience strategy. At the same time, it identifies 
limitations and trade-offs in adaptation efforts, including resource constraints, inequality, and the risk of 
maladaptive outcomes. The governance dimension of climate migration is examined through national, regional, 
and international policy frameworks that shape migration opportunities, protection mechanisms, and institutional 
coordination. The evidence also reveals persistent data gaps, measurement challenges, and biases within the 
climate-migration literature, underscoring the need for improved methodologies and more comprehensive 
datasets. Case study evidence from regions such as Africa, the Middle East, and Asia demonstrates that climate
related mobility is rarely driven by environmental factors alone, but rather emerges from the interaction between 
climate stressors and broader development challenges. The findings emphasize that effective climate-migration 
governance requires integrated approaches that combine adaptation planning, migration management, and climate 
justice considerations. Strengthening policy frameworks, improving data systems, and promoting international 
cooperation will be essential to address the growing scale and complexity of climate-induced human mobility.