“I can migrate, but why should I?”—voluntary non-migration despite creeping environmental risks

This paper explores environmental non-migration, defined as the decision to remain in place despite environmental risks, focusing on voluntary non-migration. It argues that livelihood resilience, resulting from interactions between societal and environmental conditions, plays a crucial role in these decisions. An analytical concept is proposed and operationalized through an empirical example in southwest coastal Bangladesh, revealing that the Livelihood Resilience Index (LRI) is related to the voluntary nature of migration decisions but doesn't solely predict them. The study concludes that a holistic approach considering multiple factors is needed to understand environmental non-migration.

Bishajwit Mallick, Chup Priovashini, Jochen Schanze