United Nations University

The United Nations University (UNU) is the academic arm of the United Nations (UN). It bridges the academic world and the UN system. Its goal is to develop sustainable solutions for current and future problems of humankind in all aspects of life. Through a problem-oriented and interdisciplinary approach it aims at applied research and education on a global scale. UNU was founded in 1973 and is an autonomous organ of the UN General Assembly. The University comprises headquarters Tokyo, Japan, and more than a dozen Institutes and Programmes worldwide.

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New SOURCE on Linking Environmental Change, Migration & Social Vulnerability - Out Now!

"Linking Environmental Change, Migration and Social Vulnerability", edited by Anthony Oliver-Smith and Xiaomeng Shen, presents the articles of seven of the PHD researchers who took part in the third UNU-EHS Summer Academy of the Munich Re Foundation.

The researchers give a literature overview of environmental migration, concepts, and the legal and institutional frameworks. Using different case studies, they illustrate how vulnerable people are to environmental changes and how migration can be a coping strategy when responding and adapting to changing environments. In this context, the authors also discuss examples of resettlement and replacement patterns.

Download SOURCE No. 12/2009.

Migration is part of human history; the concept of environmental migration however, is still controversially debated. While some scholars predict high numbers of people migrating due to climate and environmental changes, others still insist that there is not enough scientific evidence for the existence of the phenomenon of environmental migration at all.

While scientists and policy makers are divided on this topic, the impacts of global environmental change can already be observed around the world. This issue of Source looks at the debate and presents various case studies.