How can migration support adaptation? Different options to test the migration–adaptation nexus

The objective of this conceptual and methodological paper is to flag different possible choices that can be made to study the relationship between migration and adaptation. The authors call for a reconceptualization of the migration–adaptation nexus and a deeper understanding of how migration affects adaptive capacities. Research should analyse migration as one possible adaptation strategy among many others, acknowledging both the positive and negative outcomes, and should focus on adaptation for whom: the migrants themselves, the community of origin and community of destination. 

This paper provides a comparative analysis of the advantages and challenges of the proposed methodological approaches. For an increased understanding and to provide empirical evidence for policymaking, the authors suggest putting migration corridors at the heart of the analysis and recommend employing a mixture of both traditional qualitative and quantitative methods.