Climate Change, Disasters, Adaptation, Immobility, and Trapped Populations in Türkiye

This chapter examines the complex effects of climate change on human mobility in Türkiye, a Mediterranean climate hotspot highly vulnerable to floods, droughts, storms, and sea-level rise. Climate impacts act as threat multipliers, exacerbating existing socio-economic and spatial inequalities. Sudden-onset events trigger short-term, local mobility, while slow-onset hazards drive long-term relocation. Migration can serve as adaptation, yet many “trapped” populations remain immobile due to vulnerability and lack of resources. Climate-related counter-urbanization reflects privileged adaptation, deepening inequalities. Policy-induced displacement, arising from conservation-development tensions, further threatens livelihoods. Using social inequality and environmental justice frameworks, the study concludes that climate-induced mobility in Türkiye is a deeply social issue, requiring holistic, equitable, and resilient policy responses.