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Migration‐affected change and vulnerability in rural V anuatu
Author(s) -
Craven Luke K.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
asia pacific viewpoint
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.571
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1467-8373
pISSN - 1360-7456
DOI - 10.1111/apv.12066
Subject(s) - vulnerability (computing) , adaptive capacity , underdevelopment , climate change , human migration , development economics , stressor , geography , economic growth , political science , socioeconomics , environmental planning , sociology , population , economics , computer security , ecology , psychology , biology , clinical psychology , demography , computer science
Migration is increasingly being promoted as a possible adaptive response to risks associated with climate change and other stresses. While migration may present an adaptation pathway in certain contexts, existing research fails to consider the ways in which migration could contribute to vulnerability in sending communities. This paper examines the impact of migration‐affected change on local vulnerability in L amen B ay, V anuatu. Qualitative methods, including interviews and focus groups with 58 individuals, were used to determine how migration interacts with the multiple stressors faced by the community. The results show that migration is likely to contribute to vulnerability in already vulnerable communities. In L amen B ay, migration affects a number of contextual factors that influence exposure and the capacity to respond to change, including labour supply, food security, migrant attitudes, underdevelopment and institutional viability. These results suggest that development policy in V anuatu needs to address existing vulnerabilities while offering the opportunity to migrate.