Within the current context of global climate change, the study of how environmental changes are shaping individual behaviors related to human migration, mortality, and fertility is among the most pressing issues confronting population research and policy.
To bring together scholars conducting research at the intersection of environmental studies and demography, CDE and the Applied Population Lab (APL) hosted the conference “Demographic Responses to Changes in the Natural Environment” in October 2019. The event was organized by three affiliates: APL’s Director Katherine Curtis, Malia Jones, associate scientist at APL, and CDE Director Marcy Carlson. The conference was supported by an R13 grant from NICHD.
Following the conference, organizers edited a special issue of Population & Environment, scheduled for release in June 2021. The issue includes work by experts in the field, including CDE alumni Esteban Quiñones (“Left Home High and Dry–Reduced Migration in Response to Repeated Droughts in Thailand and Vietnam,” co-authored with Sabine Liebenehm and Rasadhika Sharma) and Richelle Winkler (“Amenities or Disamenities? Estimating the Impacts of Extreme Heat and Wildfire on Domestic U.S. Migration,” co-authored with Mark Rouleau).
Early this summer, the Center for Public Information on Population Research and the Population Reference Bureau will launch a website for conference-related content, including shorter policy briefs for each article that will help share this research with a larger audience.