Investigating the nexus between mobility, conflict and climate change: a literature review

Building on a systematic literature review, this paper analyses how mobility, climate change and conflict are interrelated. Although many studies address the relationship between the above-mentioned three concepts in a binary manner, focusing in particular on how climate change may be responsible for new migratory flows and conflicts, few studies investigate how all three interact with one another and what impacts they mutually produce.

Starting from these premises, the analysis focuses on review articles addressing all three concepts. The results of the analysis highlight that mobility is predominantly understood as migration and frequently associated with the concepts of security/insecurity of places and communities, and with its potential consequences in generating conflicts; however, the analysis has brought to light the non-linearity of the migration-conflict relationship.

In conclusion, the relationship between mobility, climate change and conflict remains largely unexplored, and further research is needed to gain a better understanding of their interdependence, particularly given the way in which migration and conflict can influence climate change.