Data and methods in the environment-migration nexus: a scale perspective
- Resource Type
- article
- Authors
- Eklund, Lina; Romankiewicz, Clemens; Brandt, Martin; Doevenspeck, Martin; Samimi, Cyrus
- Source
- DIE ERDE: Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin, Vol 147, Iss 2, Pp 153-164 (2016)
- Subject
- Environment-migration nexus
spatial & temporal extent
spatial & temporal resolution
scale
Geography (General)
G1-922
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 0013-9998
The relationship between environment and migration has gained increased attention since the 1990s when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projected climate change to become a major driver of human migration. Evaluations of this relationship include both quantitative and qualitative assessments. This review article introduces the concept of scale to environment-migration research as an important methodological issue for the reliability of conclusions drawn. The review of case studies shows that scale issues are highly present in environment-migration research but rarely discussed. Several case studies base their results on data at very coarse resolutions that have undergone strong modifications and generalizations. We argue that scale-related shortcomings must be considered in all stages of environment-migration research.