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Migration

Migration caused by desertification is one specific form of environmental migration. Many of these migrants are internally displaced, being propelled to leave their homes, but remain within their nations. Depending on the circumstances, sometimes these migrations involve crossing borders. This migration can be fueled by harsh living conditions such as droughts and dust storms, or from socio-economic consequences resulting from loss of arable land. Arable land per person has been declining and is expected to continue to decline, causing pressure on populations that rely on agriculture. This pressure can include unemployment and scarcity of resources, resulting in sickness and undernourishment. When land is no longer arable, these populations must either adapt new lifestyles (urbanization), accept a lower quality of life, or leave the area, causing migration patterns. This migration is often rural-urban migration, as populations seek resources their land is no longer able to provide. These rural-urban migrations often overpopulate urban centers in and around drylands and deserts. Mass migrations from desertified areas to urban centers often leaves rural areas abandoned. Other than rural-urban migrations, which contribute heavily to urbanization, these migrants often move to other ecologically vulnerable rural areas, which can enact a chain reaction of land degradation, causing desertification. The nature of desertification causes these migrations to be permanent or semi-permanent. When people leave the unarable land, they do not have intentions on returning. Any dryland population is at risk for displacement. Today, the most rapidly growing deserts are found in Africa and Asia. Australia, Central America, and parts of Europe experience desertification as well.

Recognition

It is difficult define these migrations as being motivated by desertification, as there are many push and pull factors at play in every migration decision. The loss of arable land would be classified as a push factor in these migration situations, as it drives people from their homes. The relative pull factors influence which direction the migrant goes. Specifically, the balance between environmental push and economic pull factors in migration decisions render analysts unable to easily categorize types of migrations. There is debate by policy makers of how to address environmental migration as a whole, but specifically in regards to slow-onset disasters such as desertification, as the line between voluntary and involuntary movements are blurred.

The relation between desertification and migration has only recently been gaining attention of policy makers. Currently, environmental migrants do not fit within the description of a refugee set by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees in 1951. Therefore, people who must migrant due to desertification fall into protection gaps which exclude them from international policy and law regarding refugees, such as the right of asylum. It is difficult to separate which migrants are motivated by the pull factor of better economic promise, or the push factor of complete environmental destitute. Migrants deemed to be motivated by economic promise are considered voluntary migrants, which excludes them from being "Convention refugees". Various estimates of those effected by migration due to desertification range widely, but are generally in the millions, with future projections implying exponential growth. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification estimates that up to 700 millions people may be displaced by 2050 due to changes in the environment; however, this number encompass a bigger scope of environmental refugees. The United Nations projects that 50 million people may be displaced specifically due to desertification in the next ten years.

Conflict

Water shortages and lessened agricultural yields due to desertification induces scarcity. This scarcity often causes conflict between individuals, families, and different ethnic groups, as they compete for scare resources and declining arable land. In addition to resource scarcity, displacement and migration can also promote conflict between groups. Invading territories and crossing borders can prompt conflict. Both issues caused by scarcity and displacement weaken states, and often lead way to violent conflicts. In areas affected by desertification, there is often not a supportive political framework to deal with conflict, and economies are usually poor. It is difficult to link violent conflict or wars solely to environmental factors because of the economic and political factors, which are often viewed as more influential; due to this, literature linking desertification and conflict is scarce.

International Policy

Organizations

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

The UNCCD works at implementing long-term strategies to deal with the pressing issue of desertification. They focus on developing sustainable systems that will prevent land degradation and desertification; the root of this being to alleviate poverty in affected areas. A part of their overall strategy directly regards desertification and migration. The UNCCD works with the United Nations University Institute on Environment and Human Security to further research on the linkage between desertification and migration. It is hoped that this research will enable fro policy makers to better address these environmental migrants. The convention's goal specifically relating to migration is for environmental migrants to receive the same rights as other refugees.

Drylands Development Paradigm (DDP)

The DDP focuses on the lives of the populations in drylands and deserts. The paradigm studies human-ecological (H-E) systems, and contributes much research to the field about populations and their environment. They base their research on five principals regarding H-E systems which have implications for research, management, and policy.