ti 24.1. Siirtolaisuusinstituutti: Migrations and Environmental Change -seminaariWhat is environmental change and what are its consequences?
Due to environmental and climate change average temperatures are mounting, rain patterns are changing, sea level is rising, and extreme weather conditions are becoming more common than before. Subsequently, environmental change and its consequences have fundamental effects on people's lives both in the Global North and South. At the same time, new creative forms of resilience are emerging all around the globe.
Who are the people moving due to environmental change?
Environmental degradation causes pressure to migrate. On the one hand, migration can enhance the recovery of the environment – at least locally. On the other hand, a mass influx of migrants can exacerbate environmental change and lead into increasing problems, also in urban areas where many people flee to. Migration flows can lead to conflicts and poverty which, in turn, can cause more pressure on the environment.
What are the main debates regarding migrations and environmental change?
But who are mostly affected by environmental change, and who migrate due to environmental causes? Where do these people migrate to, and to what extend is their mobility forced? What kinds of legal rights do people who migrate due to environmental reasons have? What term is most suitable for describing their situation – are they refugees, evacuees, displaced people, forced migrants, or migrants? What are the current and the future estimations regarding the number of this category of mobile people?
What is this the main focus of this seminar?
This cutting edge seminar discusses environmental change and the related migrations from various viewpoints. Environmental change is understood here widely and it covers issues such as climate change, natural disasters, and environmental degradation. Migrations and environmental change are approached in this seminar from a number of critical perspectives, such as global change, geography, legal studies, and (forced) migration studies.
Keynote speakers:
Emeritus Professor
Roger Zetter (Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford)
Research and Policy Officer
Susanne Melde (IOM's Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC), Berlin)
Professor of Geography
Jukka Käyhkö (University of Turku)
Comment & Discussion,
Markku Wilenius (Professor of Future Studies, UNESCO Chair, University of Turku)
Panel discussion:
Moderator:
Risto Kalliola (Professor of Geography, University of Turku)
Kristiina Kumpula, Secretary General, Finnish Red Cross
Milla Perukangas, Project Coordinator, Secretariat for the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, Finn Church Aid
Kaisa Kosonen, Campaigner, Climate & Energy, Greenpeace Nordic / Finland
The event is free of charge but registration is required. Fill in the registration form before 17.1.2017. The number of participants is limited to 80 people.
More info at:
https://mec2017.wordpress.com/https://www.facebook.com/events/1214763681948377Siirtolaisuusinstituutti
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