TY - JOUR
T1 - Voluntary relocation as an adaptation strategy to extreme weather events
AU - King, David
AU - Bird, Deanne
AU - Haynes, Katharine
AU - Boon, Helen
AU - Cottrell, Alison
AU - Millar, Joanne
AU - Okada, Tetsuya
AU - Box, Pamela
AU - Keogh, Diane
AU - Thomas, Melanie
PY - 2014/6
Y1 - 2014/6
N2 - Migration out of hazard-prone areas presents significant opportunities for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Alongside and intermingled with opportunistic migration there has always been relocation to escape, particularly from calamity, disaster and warfare. As climate change is considered a likely driver of migration, the literature encompasses a debate as to whether or not migration can be considered to be adaptation. This paper investigates the concept of voluntary within-country migration as an adaptation strategy to reduce disaster risk in Australia. We refer to this internal migration as relocation. The paper examines results of research carried out in Australia at the time of recent and extensive disasters, where opportunities were presented to examine household attitudes towards relocation in the face of future disasters of similar extent. Individuals[U+05F3] attitudes towards relocation were ascertained within an adaptation and mitigation context, at a time of emerging longer-term climate change government policy that advocates retreat from hazard-prone locations. The paper examines demographic data to reveal who is likely to leave or stay. Policy implications of relocation strategies as climate change adaptation strategy within a developed nation are discussed. This research concludes that relocation is a strategy available to some as part of an extensive range of responses to extreme weather events but undertaking unsupported resettlement is not always an option for reasons of family commitment, livelihood opportunities, financial constraints and emotional ties. Those who remain, and those who leave a hazard-prone location may both demonstrate a capacity for adaptation and resilience.
AB - Migration out of hazard-prone areas presents significant opportunities for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Alongside and intermingled with opportunistic migration there has always been relocation to escape, particularly from calamity, disaster and warfare. As climate change is considered a likely driver of migration, the literature encompasses a debate as to whether or not migration can be considered to be adaptation. This paper investigates the concept of voluntary within-country migration as an adaptation strategy to reduce disaster risk in Australia. We refer to this internal migration as relocation. The paper examines results of research carried out in Australia at the time of recent and extensive disasters, where opportunities were presented to examine household attitudes towards relocation in the face of future disasters of similar extent. Individuals[U+05F3] attitudes towards relocation were ascertained within an adaptation and mitigation context, at a time of emerging longer-term climate change government policy that advocates retreat from hazard-prone locations. The paper examines demographic data to reveal who is likely to leave or stay. Policy implications of relocation strategies as climate change adaptation strategy within a developed nation are discussed. This research concludes that relocation is a strategy available to some as part of an extensive range of responses to extreme weather events but undertaking unsupported resettlement is not always an option for reasons of family commitment, livelihood opportunities, financial constraints and emotional ties. Those who remain, and those who leave a hazard-prone location may both demonstrate a capacity for adaptation and resilience.
KW - Australia
KW - Climate change adaptation
KW - Cyclone
KW - Flood
KW - Migration
KW - Natural disasters
KW - Relocation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84897860118&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2014.02.006
DO - 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2014.02.006
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84897860118
VL - 8
SP - 83
EP - 90
JO - International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
JF - International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
SN - 2212-4209
ER -