The climate mobilities approach, its theoretical basis and methodological implications

This chapter outlines a theoretical and methodological approach to the climate change-migration nexus called climate mobilities. Building on the mobilities approach developed by John Urry and Mimi Sheller, this perspective examines how people are affected by, and engage in, different mobilities to respond to climatic changes, highlighting the prevalence of short-distance, temporary, or seasonal migration patterns. These movements are often part of established mobility practices rather than new patterns. Key elements of the climate mobilities approach include the relationship between mobility and immobility, the intersection of human mobility with knowledge, capital, and risk, and the uneven autonomy individuals have in deciding their movements governed by climate mobility regimes. Reviewing how this novel perspective has been applied over the last few years, we conclude that the climate mobilities approach brings novel insights contributing to the evolving debates on the climate change-migration nexus.