A Review on the Impacts of Climate-Induced Migration on Carbon Footprints

Abstract

This study examines the intersection of climate-induced migration and carbon footprint, focusing on how environmental stressors such as sea level rise, drought, and land degradation change human mobility in coastal and arid/ semiarid regions. Using regional case studies from Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the United States, we examine how migration patterns, whether voluntary, forced, seasonal, or permanent, are shaped by socioeconomic vulnerability, governance capacity, and cultural norms. The analysis highlights that, while migration can serve as an adaptation strategy, it also leads to a redistribution of carbon emissions through urbanization, changing livelihoods, and altered energy consumption. Particular attention has been paid to the often-overlooked challenges of immobility, gender vulnerability, and carbon emissions from planned resettlement. This study emphasizes the need for inclusive, equity-oriented adaptation strategies that integrate both mobility and immobility into climate policy. It concludes by highlighting important gaps in current research and calling for interdisciplinary approaches to develop context-sensitive low-carbon development solutions.