8 December 2026 (Tuesday), 15:00-16:00 JST
MIRAI CREA 2F Large Conference Room
(in-person only)
About the Lecture
Nearly forty years ago, the first Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment report identified population displacement as one of the major potential consequences of climate change. Since then, research on the climate–migration nexus has developed exponentially. Yet the geographical focus of this research has been highly uneven, with a clear concentration on the Global South.
As if the major concern surrounding climate-induced migration were the prospect of unwanted migrants arriving in Europe and North America. As if the countries of the Global North were not themselves exposed to the prospect of climate-related displacement within their own borders. As if their higher levels of development and technological capacity ultimately made them invulnerable to climate change.
This talk has two aims. First, we will critically examine the uneven geography of research on climate change and migration. Second, we will explore the largely overlooked prospect of future climate-related migration within countries of the Global North, drawing on a scoping review we have prepared on behalf of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) (Blondin and Piguet 2026, in press).
About the Speaker
Etienne Piguet is Professor of Geography at the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland) and a specialist in migration studies. His research addresses migration flows, refugees, labor market integration, discrimination, statelessness, and the links between environmental change, climate change, and human mobility. A leading expert on climate migration and an IPCC contributor, he is currently involved in international projects on climate change perception, habitability, and social tipping points related to population displacement, particularly in West Africa and the Global North.
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