Adapting to changes: a story of migration and resilience
Explore how communities in the Sahel region react to climate change and other challenges they face
Introduction
In the Sahel region, people’s lives have been affected for decades by changes in their environment, which put pressure on people to leave their homes. The consequences of crises like droughts and floods can send people in search of new, better places to survive and thrive. People may cope by moving to another place in the country or to a country nearby and this has long been an important resilient strategy to support themselves and their families .
New research from the British Red Cross and ODI looks at how climate change is affecting people’s lives, with case studies on Mali and Sudan. It aims to fill in the gaps in the evidence and our understanding.
How are the effects of the climate emergency changing people’s movements and driving them to leave home?
What choices do people have when climate and environmental changes threaten their survival?
And how can the international community best offer support to those who need it most when a crisis comes?
“At the time of [our] parents, it was raining enough, and the animals had grass to graze for a long time, which allowed them to stay in shape for wintering… Today the opposite is happening.” Focus group discussion with older men, Bamako (Mali)
Key Messages
1. Changes in the climate and environment are making people more vulnerable and increasing humanitarian needs
In Mali and Sudan, most people that we spoke to and surveyed through the research observed changes in the environment, including changes in rainfall, floods and droughts.
2. The interplay between changes in the climate and environment and why people decide to move from place to place is complicated
People’s reasons to move and ability to move are shaped by many factors, including gender, inequality, (dis)ability, age, conflict and poverty.
3. Migrating is a way for people to adapt to changes in the climate. Migrating can also involve losses
For a long time, people have coped with and adapted to changes by moving, often on a seasonal basis to find new ways to support themselves and their families. But it often involves people losing out financially or socially when they leave their homes – and this can make them even more vulnerable.
4. Climate and environmental change affect different groups of people in different ways
Some of the people most affected by climate and environmental change also face the greatest barriers to mobility. This highlights the challenges for those groups, for example older people, who are unable to move and can end up ‘trapped’ in situations where they are highly vulnerable.
5. Policy and programmatic responses do not fully reflect emerging evidence or affected communities’ needs and experiences
Across the Sahel, national policies and laws often do not mention climate-related movement.
There isn’t enough tailored support for people left vulnerable by climate and environmental change in the research areas. Support focuses on responding to the effects of crises, rather than supporting people in preparing or adapting before the crisis hits.
Research
Fieldwork was conducted in Sudan and Mali:
- Surveys reached 265 people in total
- Focus group discussions reached 206 people in communities of origin, transit and destination for people migrating internally and across borders
- 22 key informant interviews were held with key stakeholders in Mali, Sudan and across the wider Sahel
The research was grounded in a desk review, spanning literature on climate change and migration, with a focus on the Sahel region, and analysis of relevant regional policies and frameworks from national governments, regional bodies, international organisations and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
“If we manage to have a strategy that can help us stay, so much the better. If necessary, if we have the possibility, through migration, to manage and send [money] to our parents, we’ll do that. We have no other strategy but migration.” Focus group discussion with adult women, Bamako (Mali)
Sudan: a case-study
Sudan is an East African country that has been affected by conflict for many decades. Communities in Sudan are highly vulnerable due to its difficult history but also extreme climate conditions. The Sahara covers over half of the country, growing at a rate of 48km per year.
In September 2020, the usual rains started on the Nile. But that year, they lasted longer than before. Suddenly the river reached water levels not seen for nearly a century. A state of emergency was declared. Over 100,000 homes were destroyed. 2.2 million hectares of cropland were flooded with lasting damage.
Explore the map below to have a closer look at flood risk levels in Sudan's Districts
For communities facing changes in the climate and other challenges, migration is one way to cope and adapt to search for new places to survive and thrive.
Listen to their stories in the video below:
Sallah Adeen Majoub was born in Wawisty, a community just on the side of the Nile, 2 hours north of Khartum, the capital of Sudan.
The area was affected by unprecedented floods in 2010. Sallah Adeen Majoub, like others, found safety by climbing on a tree, while watching all the houses in his village being destroyed by the water in less than 20 minutes.
Hear about Mr. Mahjoub's story (an example of the many experiences heard by National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, in addition to this latest research)
Our old men say they have never seen this. They say they have never seen floods like this. Never.
Recommendations for national governments, humanitarian actors, regional organisations and international donors
National policies, laws and programmes should recognise and incorporate the complex relationship between the effects of climate change and people’s decisions to migrate.
People left vulnerable by the effects of climate change need better support. This support needs to:
- acknowledge the different vulnerabilities between people and groups
- enable people to make safe and dignified choices, because migration can be an effective coping strategy for some, but shouldn’t be the only option
- build community resilience, including through prevention and preparedness, long-term coping strategies and adaptation projects that are led by local communities
- improve access to early warning and information about changes in the climate
