Migration Conference Duke in DC office.

Exploring Migration Change and Policy

Hosted in Duke in DC, the conference on Climate Change and Migration featured 脟a臒lar 脰zden, co-director of the World Development Report 2023

The effect of climate change on existing forces driving migration amounts to 鈥渢he development challenge of the world,鈥 脟a臒lar 脰zden said at a recent Duke event.

Climate change is compounding other drivers of migration, such as poverty, conflict and demographic changes, according to 脰zden, a lead economist in the Development Research Group of the World Bank.

鈥淵ou cannot fix one of them at a time,鈥 he said.

脰zden was addressing an audience comprising academia, government, international organizations, think tanks and the private sector at the Duke in D.C. office on April 21. The was a one-day event exploring the future of migration in the context of climate change and its impact on policy needs.

鈥淢igration is about both demography and geography,鈥 said 脰zden, who is co-director of the , which launched on April 25.

There are about 184 million migrants in the world, with almost half of them living in low- and middle-income countries. Sixty-two million migrants are predicted in the next century.

The populations of high-income and many middle-income countries are quickly aging, 脰zden added.

鈥淭his is the only time in human history where the populations of the countries are declining voluntarily,鈥 脰zden said. 鈥淧eople are deciding not to have children. Demographic trends are rapidly changing and will change.鈥