ATH addresses underlying development patterns and inequities that make people, and disproportionally make marginalised people, more vulnerable to the impacts and risks of climate change.
Climate change will mean more people on the move as extreme weather threatens lives, destroys property and ruins livelihoods.
For most people, this means moving from the countryside to the city. Some will change their local mobility patterns, or take up seasonal migration to find work elsewhere. Others may choose to stay and adapt to the changing conditions. Climate mobilities is a term used to describe these diverse migration responses to climate impacts.
Our research project works to support city and municipal councils in preparing for diverse climate mobilities.
City mayors are considering how to invest in infrastructure and city planning for climate-related migration. But unless the actions they take are driven by the priorities of the most affected, they may end up making things worse for people.
Our research focuses on what a desirable future home and neighbourhood would look like from the perspective of those on the move and the communities that host them.
Traditionally, this kind of information has been difficult for planners and policymakers to include in their existing decision-making structures.
This is why a key part of our project is to understand how to weave the information we gain from the precariously housed into the metrics and indicators that governments would be more familiar with.
In this way, our research provides entry points for policymakers to carry out more transformational projects that address underlying poverty and inequality.
The PATH project will aim to include precarious housing insights into climate adaptation planning.
Our research takes place in four locations, investigating different climate mobilities:
1. Highly climate change-exposed Inuit communities who do not want to leave
2. Rural climate-related migrants moving to Kathmandu in Nepal
3. People displaced by flooding in Durban, South Africa
4. International migrants in London, UK who fall through the cracks in the city’s adaptation actions
Our project explores how to include the information from the precariously housed into processes, metrics and indicators that governments use for planning and infrastructure development – providing new entry points for policymakers to carry out transformational projects that address underlying poverty and inequality.
The PATH project will involve research teams in Canada, the UK, South Africa and Nepal working with communities and local governments, including in partnership with the Inuit Niqivut Silalu Asijjipalliajuq project team.
Our project uses community-led and arts-based research methods that value and elevate the knowledge of people on the ground. PATH also engages local municipalities and regional and national governments to ensure that this kind of knowledge is incorporated into future adaptation planning.
Learn more: Equitable Climate Adaptation Pathways for the Precariously Housed (PATH)