Regional histories of climate mobility: Oceania

Abstract

The research relevance is determined by both the growing threats of climate change to Ukraine and russian military aggression against Ukraine, which increase the number of people changing their place of residence due to the deteriorating environmental situation. The experience of countries that have already faced environmental migration predetermined the study’s relevance. The research aims to study and summarise the findings of Western researchers on the consequences of climate change for Oceania, which is seen as a threat to stability, security, and peace in the region and as a factor contributing to the spread of violence and conflict in the region, as well as internal and international population movements. The main methods used to study this issue are analysis, induction, deduction, and synthesis, which allow for describing and highlighting the most important aspects of the problem of environmental migration. The study demonstrates the relationship between climate change and environmental migration and considers its types. The study analyses the role of various actors, regional and national initiatives in improving the efficiency of this process, as well as the case of Tuvalu, which is threatened by flooding and the resettlement of all residents and the government to other countries. The author considers the idea of virtualisation of this state – the creation of its twin in the metaverse in the event of this scenario. Ways to improve climate mobility planning and a set of measures that can contribute to better integration of environmental migrants into host societies are proposed. Potential problems that could lead to conflict situations in the case of environmental displacement are identified. It is concluded that the negative effects of climate change make it important to develop changes in international legislation and to study this aspect in depth by scientists and various international, regional, and local organisations. The author outlines the ways of further research on the problem of environmental migration. The results of the study are of theoretical and practical value for ecologists, historians, sociologists, politicians, and those involved in migration issues