Climate change is already having negative impacts in the RMI, include changing sea levels, extreme events like cyclones and typhoons, heat waves, drought, and ocean acidification. Meanwhile, public health is also affected by climate change, in ways that may directly or indirectly influence people’s migration decisions. In this context, this research supported by NOAA’s International Research and Applications Project explored the nexus of climate change, health, and migration in the RMI and provides a better understanding of these relationships to inform research and policy agendas that build resilience and adaptive capacity.
An oceanside home in Majuro, capital of the RMI, without a seawall during a king tide event in September, 2019. Photo credit David Krzesni.
To evaluate whether climate and health-related factors were associated with migration decisions in the RMI and, then, to determine if there were differences between the climate impacts and vulnerabilities faced by people in the RMI, we conducted a two-part analysis of household survey data collected in the RMI in 2017 as part of the Pacific RISA Climate and Migration Project.
We found that the 199 households surveyed had experienced very high levels of climate stressors and impacts, especially related to drought, heat waves, flooding, and king tide events, and the severity of these impacts has been increasing with time. Over 50% of respondents said they or a member of their household would or might migrate in the coming decade, and seeking healthcare was a top driver of both past and potential future migrations. We also found that these experiences and expectations to migrate were not homogenous across the surveyed population, and particularly, factors related to wealth, social status, agency, and vulnerability were strong differentiators between respondents that were grouped according to the climate and health impacts they experienced.
Two boys relaxing beneath a tree in Majuro. Photo credit David Krzesni.
The report concludes with three main recommendations for policymakers in the RMI, as well as receiving locations for migrants from the RMI. First, migration will likely remain common within the RMI and abroad, and steps should be taken to enhance opportunities for both migration and remaining in-place so that people can freely choose without feeling that either option is a foregone conclusion. Second, policy interventions should focus on vulnerable members of the population, including the elderly, lower income groups, and outer island residents. Critical infrastructure projects like ensuring community access to drinking water, and comparatively small interventions like installing cooling centers for heatwave events, could help alleviate stressors that may be driving out-migration. Lastly, we argue that enhancing opportunities for residents to achieve what may now be seen as achievable only through migration—through expanded education, healthcare, and livelihood prospects—would provide greater decision-making agency, as well as the potential for return migration.
Featured image: 2019 Presidents’ Day canoe race in Majuro, RMI. Two men in a traditional Marshallese canoe pass behind a large fishing vessel. This juxtaposition captures Marshallese resilience in maintaining their culture and homeland in the face of prevalent threats to both.
Policy briefing on climate-induced migration and the Compact of Free Association: limitations and opportunities
Fact sheet on Marshallese perspectives about migration in the context of climate change
The Pacific Islands Climate Storybookcontaining “climate stories” outputs from climate services dialogs conducted by NOAA and the US Agency for International Development (USAID)
Resilient and sustainable Pacific Island communities using climate information to manage risks and support practical decision-making about climate variability and change.
New Report on the Intersection of Climate Change, Health, and Migration
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Posted on July 11, 2022 by pacrisa
Since 2016, the Pacific RISA has worked with researchers in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), Hawaiʻi, and the US Pacific Northwest to study the relationship between climate change and migration, with an emphasis on the health impacts of climate change and how they are related to migration. Our latest publication, “Climate Change, Health, and Migration: Profiles of Resilience and Vulnerability in the Marshall Islands“ led by Pacific RISA PI Laura Brewington and East-West Center consultant David Krzesni, is now available online through the East-West Center publications website.
Climate change is already having negative impacts in the RMI, include changing sea levels, extreme events like cyclones and typhoons, heat waves, drought, and ocean acidification. Meanwhile, public health is also affected by climate change, in ways that may directly or indirectly influence people’s migration decisions. In this context, this research supported by NOAA’s International Research and Applications Project explored the nexus of climate change, health, and migration in the RMI and provides a better understanding of these relationships to inform research and policy agendas that build resilience and adaptive capacity.
To evaluate whether climate and health-related factors were associated with migration decisions in the RMI and, then, to determine if there were differences between the climate impacts and vulnerabilities faced by people in the RMI, we conducted a two-part analysis of household survey data collected in the RMI in 2017 as part of the Pacific RISA Climate and Migration Project.
We found that the 199 households surveyed had experienced very high levels of climate stressors and impacts, especially related to drought, heat waves, flooding, and king tide events, and the severity of these impacts has been increasing with time. Over 50% of respondents said they or a member of their household would or might migrate in the coming decade, and seeking healthcare was a top driver of both past and potential future migrations. We also found that these experiences and expectations to migrate were not homogenous across the surveyed population, and particularly, factors related to wealth, social status, agency, and vulnerability were strong differentiators between respondents that were grouped according to the climate and health impacts they experienced.
The report concludes with three main recommendations for policymakers in the RMI, as well as receiving locations for migrants from the RMI. First, migration will likely remain common within the RMI and abroad, and steps should be taken to enhance opportunities for both migration and remaining in-place so that people can freely choose without feeling that either option is a foregone conclusion. Second, policy interventions should focus on vulnerable members of the population, including the elderly, lower income groups, and outer island residents. Critical infrastructure projects like ensuring community access to drinking water, and comparatively small interventions like installing cooling centers for heatwave events, could help alleviate stressors that may be driving out-migration. Lastly, we argue that enhancing opportunities for residents to achieve what may now be seen as achievable only through migration—through expanded education, healthcare, and livelihood prospects—would provide greater decision-making agency, as well as the potential for return migration.
Download the full report today to learn more.
Featured image: 2019 Presidents’ Day canoe race in Majuro, RMI. Two men in a traditional Marshallese canoe pass behind a large fishing vessel. This juxtaposition captures Marshallese resilience in maintaining their culture and homeland in the face of prevalent threats to both.
All images by David Krzesni.
Related publications
Publication in AsiaPacific Issues on climate change, health, and migration in the Pacific, with examples from the RMI
Case study report and companion publication in the journal Climatic Change on Marshallese migration and the role of climate change and ecosystem services
Policy briefing on climate-induced migration and the Compact of Free Association: limitations and opportunities
Fact sheet on Marshallese perspectives about migration in the context of climate change
The Pacific Islands Climate Storybook containing “climate stories” outputs from climate services dialogs conducted by NOAA and the US Agency for International Development (USAID)
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Category: Blog, General, Media, News Tags: Climate Change and Health, Marshall Islands
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