Rethinking Climate Migration – Paperback

Every day, millions of people are affected by environmental change, yet the reasons why some migrate while others remain are complex. In this book, Saphia Fleury examines how environmental, political, social and economic pressures combine to shape migration decisions. Through revealing case studies, including the Vietnamese boat people crisis and the evacuation of Montserrat following volcanic eruptions, she challenges conventional understandings of displacement and adaptation. Drawing on migrant testimony and previously suppressed government documents, Fleury shows how natural hazards become social and political crises, often through institutional failures and policy mistakes. By tracing the long-term consequences of environmentally driven displacement for affected communities while offering vital lessons for policymakers and advocacy organisations, Fleury proposes practical ways of reducing forced displacement and protecting those who move. Ultimately, she makes a powerful case for flexible, rights-based national and international responses rather than a single treaty-based solution to climate migration.