HABITABLE - Linking Climate Change, Habitability and Social Tipping Points: Scenarios for Climate Migration

Horizon 2020 - LC-CLA-2019-2 (Human Dynamics of Climate Change)
Grant Agreement No. 869395

The HABITABLE project (2020-2024) is centred around the concept of habitability, in order to advance understanding of how climate change does and will affect migration and displacement patterns. It does so through the mobilisation of innovative methods to explore key research gaps, implemented by a diverse, experienced consortium associating 21 partners from different disciplines and representing several regions of the world.

Generally, the project seeks to understand not only how climate change causes migration, but also how climate impacts, policies and perceptions interact with each other and influence migration patterns in a systems-based approach.

The project pursues a non-deterministic understanding of the impact of climate change on migration and enables a systematic comprehension and appreciation of the complex social, legal, economic and environmental interactions involved, allowing to develop policy-relevant migration scenarios. On this basis, the project will propose a number of adaptation options for populations affected by climate change, as well as recommendations to inform key policies and legal instruments.

In particular, WP 6 on Legal and policy analysis and strategic recommendations, led by Sapienza University, assesses existing legal frameworks and policies about their potential to address major climate migration challenges, through a HR-based approach and with regards to the effective enjoyment of fundamental rights by climate migrants.

The evaluation of the effectiveness (and side effects) of existing policies – at national, regional and international level – is performed through legislation, case-law and literature review. Moreover, the work evaluates how gender and context-sensitivity is integrated in these legal instruments and policies.

The objective is to deliver recommendations on policies and legal instruments addressing the climate-migration nexus and identify possible pathways to meet protection gaps. The recommendations will take a European perspective for identifying key policy processes and initiatives, in line with the latest developments, such as the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, and proposals to fill the gaps of the existing legal framework. They will highlight how European actors and partners can promote the integration of climate and migration policies at national and international level.


Presentazione HABITABLE Project – Incontro Horizon Europe – 9 febbraio 2020


Team Sapienza: Prof. Sergio Marchisio (Institutional Lead, WP6 Lead), Prof. Raffaele Cadin, Prof. Luigino Manca, Dr. Gianfranco Nucera, Dr. Francesco Negozio


HABITABLE Consortium

  • University of Liège, Hugo Observatory
  • University of Vienna
  • Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
  • University of Exeter
  • Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, Norwegian Refugee Council (IMDC/NRC)
  • Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies
  • Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Political Sciences
  • Adelphi research gemeinnützige GmbH
  • University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Geography
  • Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)
  • Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
  • United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
  • University of Ghana, Regional Institute for Population Studies
  • CARE France
  • University of Twente, Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Geo-Information Management
  • University Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar
  • Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
  • Raks Thai Foundation (RTF)
  • Addis Ababa University, Institute of Development and Policy Research
  • Institut National de la Statistique du Mali
  • Samuel Hall Foundation

More information: www.habitableproject.org

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