Sand Waves and Human Tides: Exploring Environmental Myths on Desertification and Climate-Induced Migration. (March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bettini, Giovanni; Andersson, Elina
• Other Names: Olsson Lennart guest-editor.; Hourcade Jean-Charles guest-editor.; Köhler Jonathan guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of environment & development. Volume 23:Number 1(2014:Mar.)
• Page Start: 160
• Page End: 185
• Publication Date: 2014-03
• Subjects: global environmental change -- desertification -- political ecology -- climate-induced migration -- environmental myths; Economic development -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental policy -- Economic aspects -- Periodicals; 338.9005
• DOI: 10.1177/1070496513519896
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1070-4965

Abstract

In spite of the growing attention to climate-induced migration, a coherent understanding of the matter is lacking—as any articulated governance strategy. Although such an impasse relates to the unprecedented socioecological processes involved, we argue that many of the challenges posed by climate-induced migration are not unique in the history of global environmental governance. Proceeding from this, we compare climate migration with the issue of desertification. Drawing upon the concept of environmental myth developed in Political Ecology, we identify common themes such as scientism, vagueness, and ambiguities in the definitions, and a tendency to envision one-fits-all solutions that overlook the multiscalar phenomena involved. We discuss how these traits have contributed to the failure of the desertification regime. Consequently, we propose that climate migration debates should move beyond such deficiencies, to avoid the consolidation of policy responses reproducing the same problems that have characterized the regime on desertification.