Changing Climate, Changing Migration
May 26, 2026 · 34 min · 10 segments
Climate change can be devastating for individuals’ health and safety. Climate-linked natural disasters can cause physical injuries and damage health-care systems, while slow-onset changes such…
Ilse RuyssenGuest
Julian HattemHost
I- is it the case that people moving in response to natural disasters and slower onset repercussions of climate change tend to be more vulnerable to various health issues than, than other people? And if so, why might that be?
Migration can protect health on the one hand, but the process of moving can also create new risks, especially when it happens under pressure and without enough support.
Someone who leaves because of drought, flooding, or a cyclone may already have gone through a difficult period before moving.
Their income may have fallen, food may have become less secure, or regular care may already have been interrupted, so their health may already be under pressure before the move begins.
That may reduce their exposure to flooding, which is clearly important, but if they spend time in temporary or overcrowded housing, or they end up in a informal settlement with limited access to services, new risks, um, may appear.
And a chronic illness, for instance, may become harder to manage if medication is interrupted.
Stress and anxiety may also increase if a person becomes separated from their support networks, or if they don't know whether they can find work, uh, they can stay in that place, or access care when they need it.
So that's why in a, a, a review of the literature we've been, uh, conducting on the health needs among people moving in the context of climate change, we've been using the lens of the social determinants of health.
Um, in simple terms, this means the wider conditions that shape whether people can stay healthy, things like income, housing, work, legal status, um, social support, quality of local services.
And that per- perspective helps explain why migration can be protective in one situation and harmful in another.
Uh, you could say if people move safely with resources and support, migration can reduce health risks.
It can take people away from danger, closer to work, closer to health services.
But if they arrive somewhere without stable housing, s- secure work, or easy access to a clinic, the health problems can continue or take a different form.
I would say that climate-related mobility often happens in already difficult circumstances.
Um, yeah, and health then depends very much on how safe the movement is, on whether people can access care, income, housing, and social support afterwards.
I- is it the case that people moving in response to natural disasters and slower onset repercussions of climate change tend to be more vulnerable to various health issues than, than other people? And if so, why might that be?
Migration can protect health on the one hand, but the process of moving can also create new risks, especially when it happens under pressure and without enough support.
Someone who leaves because of drought, flooding, or a cyclone may already have gone through a difficult period before moving.
Their income may have fallen, food may have become less secure, or regular care may already have been interrupted, so their health may already be under pressure before the move begins.
That may reduce their exposure to flooding, which is clearly important, but if they spend time in temporary or overcrowded housing, or they end up in a informal settlement with limited access to services, new risks, um, may appear.
And a chronic illness, for instance, may become harder to manage if medication is interrupted.
Stress and anxiety may also increase if a person becomes separated from their support networks, or if they don't know whether they can find work, uh, they can stay in that place, or access care when they need it.
So that's why in a, a, a review of the literature we've been, uh, conducting on the health needs among people moving in the context of climate change, we've been using the lens of the social determinants of health.
Um, in simple terms, this means the wider conditions that shape whether people can stay healthy, things like income, housing, work, legal status, um, social support, quality of local services.
And that per- perspective helps explain why migration can be protective in one situation and harmful in another.
Uh, you could say if people move safely with resources and support, migration can reduce health risks.
It can take people away from danger, closer to work, closer to health services.
But if they arrive somewhere without stable housing, s- secure work, or easy access to a clinic, the health problems can continue or take a different form.
I would say that climate-related mobility often happens in already difficult circumstances.
Um, yeah, and health then depends very much on how safe the movement is, on whether people can access care, income, housing, and social support afterwards.
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