Migration and natural resource scarcity within the context of climate variability in West Africa

Drawing from research in rural north-western Benin, this policy brief looks at the effect of migration on the in-land fisheries subsector and emphasises the need for effective participation of all stakeholders in the management of natural resources to improve livelihoods in the region facing population growth and climate variability.

Migration – internal and international – is an important feature of the social lives of people across West Africa. While movements within the subregion are generally due to complex and multi-causal factors, natural resource scarcity has served to influence movements especially in rural areas.

Environment Migration Portal, Migration, Environment and Climate Change: Policy Brief Series, Issue 3, Vol. 1, June 2015. This document is part of the "Migration, Environment and Climate Change: Policy Brief Series" of the International Organization for Migration.