Climate change, migration and voice

Climate change is frequently predicted to result in dramatic increases in international migration, yet current research has largely failed to identify such movements in practice. This paper sheds light on this apparent paradox. Drawing on Hirschman’s treatise on Exit, Voice and Loyalty, we provide empirical evidence that voicing about climatic change, as captured through media reports, is associated with greater exposure to climate risks and lower emigration rates. Our finding is consistent with individuals’ variously responding to climatic change either by emigrating or remaining and voicing about climatic change, with the aim of influencing current mitigation, adaptation or compensation policies. Our results, in turn, have implications for policies aimed at shaping international migration patterns and the ability of governments and residents to voice their concerns about climate change.