Call for Papers: South-South Migration in Context of Environmental Change

Experts agree that most migration, displacement and planned relocation that take place in the context of environmental change is likely to occur within the developing world. Much of this South-South migration will occur within countries and across borders with the same region. At times, movements are likely to be towards places (within and across borders) that are themselves experiencing environmental changes. A symposium organized by KNOMAD’s Thematic Working Group (TWG) on Environmental Change and Migration in 2014 concluded: “better understanding of internal migration, including rural-urban, urban-rural and rural-rural movements, as well as cross-border South-South migration will help policymakers plan more effectively to address the impacts on both source and receiving communities. Of particular importance is research on ways to ensure greater reliability, security and use of South-South remittance flows in the context of movements linked to climate change.”
 
Call for Proposals
 
The TWG on Environmental Change and Migration plans to commission one or more papers that improve understanding of South-South migration in the context of environmental change, and allow for comparison of such migration with North-North, North-South and South-North movements. The papers will be distributed widely, including for circulation at upcoming events the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Global Forum on Migration and Development, and the World Humanitarian Summit.
 
We are seeking proposals for preparation of papers that address one or more of the following issues:
 

• A critical review of the literature on South-South migration patterns in the context of environmental change;
• Analysis of the impact of slow-onset environmental change as a driver of South-South migration in one or more developing regions (based on already collected empirical data);
• Analysis of the efficacy of South-South migration as a strategy for adaptation to slow onset environmental change within one or more developing regions (based on already collected empirical data of migration within developing countries or cross border from one developing country to another);
• Analysis of the impact of environmental change as a driver of South-South migration in the context of acute events, such as cyclones and floods, within one or more developing regions (based on already collected empirical data);
• Analysis of the impact of South-South migration as a strategy for adaptation to environmental change in the context of acute events, such as cyclones and floods (based on already collected empirical data); and
• Comparison of  South-South migration with other forms of movement (e.g., South-North, North-North and  North-South migration.

 
Completed papers should be between 7,500-10,000 words including an Executive Summary and Bibliography. The paper should be in English, using language that is accessible to policymakers and practitioners as well as researchers.
 
Proposal Format and Timelines
 
Proposals should be no more than 3-4 pages, single spaced. They should provide a brief summary of the paper to be produced under the consultancy, an outline of the paper’s contents and a short bibliography. The proposal must also indicate that the consultant will be able to meet the TWG’s deadlines for these papers: Please note that the consultancy will not support new research. As stated above, proposed analyses should be based on already collected empirical data. Proposals should also include CVs of the principal authors.
 
Honoraria
 
An honorarium of $2,500 will be offered to those invited to prepare papers.
 
Please submit proposals no later than February 23, 2015 to
 
Susan Martin, Chair of the Thematic Working Group on Migration and Environmental Change at martinsf@georgetown.edu
 
Hanspeter Wyss, Focal Point for the TWG “Environmental Change and Migration”, KNOMAD Secretariat at hwyss1@worldbank.org