Environmental and Climate Mobilities Network - 2023 Conference

The Environmental and Climate Mobilities Network (external link)  (ECMN) was cofounded by the University of Vienna as an international network of transdisciplinary researchers working on migration and human im/mobility in the context of environmental and climate change. This year was the first annual conference and launch of the collaborative network. The event brought together researchers from different disciplines, as well as policy advisors and practitioners with the aim to foster exchange and gather insights on emerging topics, approaches, and methods when studying climate mobility and migration.

MEMO Project Coordinator Daniela Ghio shared work from the MEMO project at this conference. The MEMO project investigates the relationship of migration drivers and determinants across three regional systems including West Africa. As part of the ECMN’s "New Datasets and Modelling" session, the analysis of the country of Ghana was presented as a case study of our modelling approach. MEMO researchers utilized different geo-statistical models to explore spatial patterns of migration changes with environmental conditions, conflict fatalities and gold mining activities in Ghana over time. This modeling illustrates territorial pathways of migration from 30 years of net migration estimates at various spatial scales. MEMO is a large-scale comparative study that brings together researchers and community partners to deepen understanding of regional migration systems and to help improve international migration governance. This modeling reenvisions migration systems through a multi-dimensional approach, with Ghana as a sample of our regional system.