This comprehensive Research Handbook provides an overview of the debates on how the law does, and could, relate to migration exacerbated by climate change. It contains conceptual chapters on the relationship between climate change, migration and the law, as well as doctrinal and prospective discussions regarding legal developments in different domestic contexts and in international governance.
This Handbook seeks to provide an overview of the myriad of ideas and debates that emerged in recent years on climate change, migration and the law. What is often reduced to the simple terms such as “climate migration” or “climate refugees” emerged as a rather complex theme. Climate change affects human mobility in multiple ways, often indirectly, and always within the context of particular societies and communities. It is not always possible to identify specific scenarios of climate migration and, a fortiori, to single out “climate migrants.” In turn, these conceptual intricacies make it more difficult to analyse how existing law applies to - and how new laws and policies could relate to - what should perhaps best be called the “climate-migration nexus.”As editors, we were committed to giving voice to different views, even if those could be conflicting, rather than pushing for a particular narrative of our taste. We thus leave it to the readers to weigh multiple arguments through further research. Thus, the chapters gathered in this Handbook are written by authors from different backgrounds and perspectives to reflect the multiple on-going discussions on the topic. These chapters develop diverse and sometimes conflicting understandings of, among others, the implications of climate change for human mobility, terminological choices, and views about desirable steps to be taken.This introduction provides a general background to the chapters that follow. A first section discusses some difficulties in conceptualizing the climate-migration nexus. A second section offers a broad overview of relevant legal developments. A third section examines the political and normative implications of discussions on the climate-migration nexus. A fourth section presents the outlines of this Handbook.
This groundbreaking Research Handbook provides a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the impact of international law on cities. It sheds light on the growing global role of cities and makes the case for a renewed understanding of international law in the light of the urban turn.
The last twenty years have seen a rapid increase in scholarly activity and publications dedicated to environmental migration and displacement, and the field has now reached a point in terms of profile, complexity, and sheer volume of reporting that a general review and assessment of existing knowledge and future research priorities is warranted. So far, such a product does not exist. The Routledge Handbook of Environmental Displacement and Migration provides a state-of-the-science review of research on how environmental variability and change influence current and future global migration patterns and, in some instances, trigger large-scale population displacements. Drawing together contributions from leading researchers in the field, this compendium will become a go-to guide for established and newly interested scholars, for government and policymaking entities, and for students and their instructors. It explains theoretical, conceptual, and empirical developments that have been made in recent years; describes their origins and connections to broader topics including migration research, development studies, and international public policy and law; and highlights emerging areas where new and/or additional research and reflection are warranted. The structure and the nature of the book allow the reader to quickly find a concise review relevant to conducting research or developing policy on particular topics, and to obtain a broad, reliable survey of what is presently known about the subject.
In an age of ethnic nationalism and anti-immigrant rhetoric, the study of refugees can help develop a new outlook on social justice, just as the post-war international order ends. The global financial crisis, the rise of populist leaders like Trump, Putin, and Erdogan, not to mention the arrival of anti-EU parties, raises the need to interrogate the refugee, migrant, citizen, stateless, legal, and illegal as concepts. This insightful Research Handbook is a timely contribution to that debate.
This timely book offers a unique interdisciplinary inquiry into the prospects of different political narratives on climate migration. It identifies the essential angles on climate migration – the humanitarian narrative, the migration narrative and the climate change narrative – and assesses their prospects. The author contends that although such arguments will influence global governance, they will not necessarily achieve what advocates hope for. He discusses how the weaknesses of the concept of “climate migration” are likely to be utilized in favour of repressive policies against migration or for the defence of industrial nations against perceived threats from the Third World.
This important Research Handbook explores the nexus between human rights, poverty and inequality as a critical lens for understanding and addressing key challenges of the coming decades, including the objectives set out in the Sustainable Development Goals. The Research Handbook starts from the premise that poverty is not solely an issue of minimum income and explores the profound ways that deprivation and distributive inequality of power and capability relate to economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights.
As the threats posed by changing weather patterns are becoming more apparent, climate change law has emerged as an important area of law in its own right. This Handbook provides a comprehensive understanding of this growing subject, setting out the key institutions and processes, and featuring interdisciplinary insights from leading experts.
ÔThe present book is a much needed publication on climate change adaptation law. It is a collaborative effort of distinguished experts from around the world and adopts a holistic approach to adaptation, taking a global view, with a focus on the international, the regional and domestic levels. This publication has a wealth of information, illustrating the issue of adaptation with many examples from all over the world. One of the most valuable aspects of this book, ensuring that it will have a lasting value, is that it discusses all fields of law, which are vulnerable to climate change (such as tort law; insurance law; disaster law; marine law; water law; planning law; construction law; environmental law; forestry; energy law; biodiversity). The book also includes general issues of adaptation, such as climate justice and the relationship between adaptation and development; human rights in the context of migration law and compensation. It is written in a very accessible language and will be an indispensible reading for both scholars and practitioners. The content and structure of the book make it a definitive book on climate adaptation.Õ Ð Malgosia Fitzmaurice, Queen Mary, University of London, UK ÔThis book indeed will become the definitive text on climate adaptation law for the coming years! From a global law perspective, Verschuuren and his team analyse in an outstanding way the legal challenges and barriers to climate change adaptation and how they can be overcome. Just like climate change, this book is here to stay!Õ Ð Kurt Deketelaere, KU Leuven/League of European Research Universities (LERU), Belgium This timely Research Handbook discusses the challenges brought about by the need to adapt to a changing climate. It considers how adaptation is necessary to address impacts resulting from the warming of the EarthÕs atmosphere which is already unavoidable due to past emissions. With adaptation policies around the world still in their infancy, the book examines the legal challenges and barriers to climate change adaptation and how can they be overcome. It brings together expert contributors to consider topics ranging across tort and insurance law, disaster law, water law, marine law, planning law, biodiversity law, green buildings, pollution control, displacement, agriculture and energy. With its transnational and multilevel approach, the Research Handbook on Climate Change Adaptation Law will be an essential resource for academics in the field of climate change policy and law, policymakers and other government officials working on climate change, and NGOs working in the field of climate change.
A perfect introduction to climate change law, this textbook offers students and scholars an overview of the international law governing this fundamental issue. It demonstrates how to interpret the language used in the applicable instruments and conventions, and sets climate change law in its broader international legal context.